


Westerosi Royals Club

by kochia



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Arya and Gendry dating other people, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gendry is a Baratheon, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:21:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23579092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kochia/pseuds/kochia
Summary: When Arya Stark turned twenty five, her world opened to the "wonderful" world of dating via the Westerosi Royals Club Matchmaking Services.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Aegon VI Targaryen, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Comments: 130
Kudos: 243





	1. The Envelope

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first Gendrya fic, just a little self-indulgence on my part. I got inspired by Hang The DJ (Black Mirror) and I just had to write something about Gendrya! I still don't have a set outline and overall rating but it will definitely be on the lighter side. It's gonna be a crack fic with the heart! Please comment with your suggestions and pairing requests! ♥️

When Arya Stark turned eighteen, her parents gave her a one way ticket to Braavos, a fully paid apartment lease for 4 years, and fully paid tuition fees for the House of Black and White for their prestigious Law degree. It was a difficult time in between doing her coursework and training with the First Sword of Braavos, but she wouldn't change it for anything.

When Arya Stark turned twenty two, her parents gave her funds for her Essosi adventure. It was a wonderful gap year filled with several law firm internships, charity work, and mindful travelling. It opened her eyes to another world and propelled her on taking further education.

When Arya Stark turned twenty three, her parents gave her a one way ticket to Kings Landing, her own code for the Stark's penthouse in the city, and fully paid tuition fees for graduate school. As a child, she never thought her path will lead her to pursue Law, but alas, her thirst for fairness and helping people was complemented by such career. On her first day at Kings Landing University to specialize in International Law, she never felt more empowered.

When Arya Stark turned twenty five, her parents gave her an envelope.

"What's this?"

\--

**WESTEROSI ROYALS CLUB**

_To Lady Arya Stark of Winterfell,_

_We welcome you to the Westerosi Royals Club. We are an exclusive association for members of the Royal Family, Noble Houses, and selected entrepreneurs._

_It is with great honor to assist you on finding the best match within our exclusive pool of bachelors. Our Matchmaking Services has been around for 30 years and has a 95% success rate for giving you the ultimate pair and 90% reported wedded bliss in the first 10 years of marriage._

_We have assigned Ms. Jeyne Heddle as your liaison and you may contact her through this number (888-0005). You may also plan a visit to our Kings Landing Office located at the Westerosi Royal Hotel to start with your journey._

_Lord Petyr Baelish of Vale_

_CEO, Westerosi Royals Club_

\--

"Matchmaking service?! Are you serious, mother?!"

Arya is red, impossibly redder than the dress she chose to wear for her birthday dinner. She is furious, ashamed, scared, and would very much like to be swallowed by the restaurant's floor right now, _thank you very much._

"Arya, dear, you're twenty five and single. I think it is high time you consider dating." Catelyn Stark, the matriarch, told as much, using her most saccharine voice.

She can hear Robb and Sansa snickering under the guise of wiping their pretty little mouths with their napkins. She threw them a glare that would rival the coldest of the Northern blizzards.

"You know, little sister, I met Willas the same way and look at us now--"

"I don't want to get married!" Arya bursts while Sansa slightly flaunted the three carat diamond engagement ring and the diamond studded wedding ring on her manicured fingers.

"Arya! That is not the way to talk to your older sister!" Catelyn admonished.

"But Muuuum, is this really necessary? An exclusive matchmaking service?"

She rolled her eyes and set them on her new target, Eddard Stark. With her sweetest voice and puppy dog eyes, she asked, "Dad, do I really have to do this?"

Eddard Stark, one of the most formidable politicians in Westeros and current patriarch of the Noble House of Stark of Winterfell, faltered. It is no surprise that his children, Arya especially, is one of his few weaknesses.

"Dearest girl, I have to agree with your Mum. When we were at this age, we already had Robb and Sansa. We're just worried for you. Bran has Meera and Rickon is even starting to date--"

"What!"

Arya's grey eyes immediately zoned into the two younger boys of the Stark brood. Bran shrugged at her nonchalantly while Rickon seemed to be choking on the carrots he shoved into his mouth to avoid interrogation.

"Is this how you tell me I am the only single person in this family?"

Robb finally let out a thunderous laugh, "Hopefully, that would change soon, little sister."

"I'm sure you didn't have to go through this farce, Robb!"

"Well, yeah," Robb scratched his beard trying to hide his blush, "I met Talisa at uni and never let her go."

"Duh, you got her pregnant," Arya countered while rolling her eyes.

"That too!" Rob laughed. It's funny how they can laugh about it now but around seven years ago, Catelyn almost wrung out Robb's neck and Ned was inconsolable when Robb told them he got his girlfriend pregnant and got married at the Riverlands City Hall right away. It was a weird time in the Stark household.

"You can try dating normally," Sansa added hesitantly but steeled on, "but, being a member of the Westerosi Royal Club has its perks, you know. There's exclusive access to the club house and their hotels, and I'm sure you'll enjoy their sports center. They have fencing rooms, archery ranges, and even an equestrian park!"

Sansa may not look like it, but she was actually a decorated equestrienne back at her university. Arya swallowed, the sports center sure beats their small gym space at the penthouse.

"How long do I have to do this matchmaking thing?"

"As long as you want, honey. It would be nice if you get engaged and married. I would like more granchildren soon," Catelyn sighed dreamily. Arya scowled.

"I reviewed their current roster and most of them are pretty good eggs. And if not, I do know their parents and where they live," Ned supplied and Robb smiled sinisterly.

It's a dead end. Arya knew that. With a firmer resolve, she squared her shoulders and looked at every single one of the Starks in their table. She sighed.

"Fine!"

When Arya Stark turned twenty five, her world opened to the wonderful world of dating.


	2. The She-Wolf

Arya woke up to her 5:00AM alarm. After freshening up, she rolled out her yoga mat and started with her morning exercise. By 6:30AM, she is starting her coffee maker and preparing her breakfast omelette and toast. By 7:00AM, she is reading her dashboard for the daily news and checking her e-mail for any new ones. By 7:30AM, she just finished her bath, drying her hair, and putting the barest makeup possible -- sunscreen and lipstick, done. By 8:00AM, she is out of the penthouse and making her way to the bus stop for the 8:15AM bus that drops her to her workplace at Arryn and Associates Law Firm so she can clock in at 9:00AM to start her work day.

It's a fairly healthy morning routine she developed ever since she finished graduate school and started working at the firm five months ago. Gods know how jam-packed her work day is, which can range from office work, courtroom appointments, client calls, and sometimes, out of country business trips that milk her International Law specialty.

At the end of the day, when she clocks out at 5:00PM, she is mentally exhausted and would go home straight. When she arrives home, Nymeria, her Alaskan Malamute, with her leash on her mouth and with the cutest head tilt and wagging tail, almost always bullies her for walks outside their neighborhood until they arrive in the park where Arya lets her loose as long as there are no children around.

Arya usually takes this time to decompress and meditate since past 6:00PM at the park is a quiet time, which is surprising for Kings Landing. At the top of her head, she's grateful for the dense foliage surrounding the park that also muffles her humming mind.

She was enjoying the pocket of serenity that she is having when, out of nowhere, her phone alarms. She frowned and checked the notification.

**7:30PM (Friday)**

_Dinner at Kings Restaurant, Westerosi Royal Hotel_

_With Gendry Baratheon of Storms End_

_(Appointment done by Jeyne Heddle, WRC)_

"Gods fucking damn it."

\--

When Arya agreed to her parent's crazy idea to list her at the Westerosi Royals Club Matchmaking Services, one of the cons is to share her calendar with her liaison, Jeyne Heddle.

Jeyne, with her dark brown hair and darker brown eyes, is really an amiable person. She was quite patient and explained the service while Arya was being a snotty rich girl with her left eyebrow raised. She seems immune to that kind of treatment and continued on to the personal interviews -- asking her favorite food, activities, music, and other things that cannot be inferred with the stringent background check that Westerosi Royal Club members go through. After an hour, Jeyne was able to butter her up by giving her the key fob to access the Westerosi Royal Club Sports Center at Kings Landing and going as far as scheduling her in for a training session with Syrio Forel, a renowned member of the First Sword of Braavos, at the Fencing Center. At this point, Arya is suppressing her giddiness and managed to croak out a genuine "thank you" to Jeyne.

At the moment, she feels the opposite and is cursing Jeyne to the highest heavens for accessing her calendar and how dare her set a date!

She was in the middle of removing her joggers on the way to the bathroom for a quick shower when her phone rang.

_Jeyne Heddle WRC calling..._

"Good evening, Lady Ar--"

"Don't call me that!"

She can hear Jeyne chuckling the other end.

"I would like to remind you that you have a 7:30PM date tonight at King's at the Westerosi Royal Hotel."

"Yes, I just saw it on my calendar today! Pray tell when did you manage to squeeze that in?" she huffed.

"I actually placed it in your calendar last Monday. I was surprised you didn't call to ask questions."

"Ugh, the past few days were busy at the the firm, I didn't notice. I'm not even sure if I have the proper clothes for King's!"

"I understand. Just wear a black dress and some pearl earrings. If you have some low heels, that would be quite tasteful."

"Okay, okay, I'll see what I can do. Any words of luck for a first timer?"

"Just enjoy yourself, Gendry Baratheon is a handsome lad. Call me when you have questions! Good luck!"

\--

Arya checked her phone, 7:24PM, just as her Uber pulled in at the entrance of the Westerosi Royal Hotel. She was thankful that she managed to book a car right away and there is minimal traffic for a Friday night. 

She went in and walked straight to the elevators. King's Restaurant is a five star restaurant located at the top floor of the hotel. She dined there several times, once for her parent's anniversary, and other times, for dinner and drinks with her colleagues. She is not a fan of the cuisine in general, but it's a safe choice for a first date.

First _fucking_ date.

Arya is not anti-relationship per se, it's just that with her busy work schedule and personal endeavors, she has limited time to date.

She tried dating during her university days at Braavos, unfortunately, due to the workload, it just became a handful of flings and one-night stands, just to scratch an itch. Nothing really reached a full blown relationship and that was fine for her. She was young and just on the start of adulthood, she said. 

During her gap year exploring Essos, she was sure that no relationsips can be cultivated since she is just backpacking from one location to another. Tyrosh, with its several islands and temperate beaches, proved her wrong. For two months, she dated a blue-haired boy named Griff. Looking back, the relationship was mostly sexual. They even went as far as visiting Lys with their pillowhouses and joining the debauchery. It was not her proudest moment but in between kisses, she knew that there is some sort of relationship there. In the end, they settled as friends as Griff said goodbye to Arya at the small Lyseni airport so that she continue on her trip to Volantis and other Free Cities.

When she came back to Westeros, she plunged right into work. She wanted to make a name for herself and help people. She is grateful for the privilege she has and the connections they have so she can land interview spots at several law firms. In the end, she settled on Arryn and Associates, a legendary law firm owned by Jon Arryn that also mentored her father, Ned Stark. For the first three months, she worked as an intern like everyone else. After three months, she was reevaluated and got assigned a small corner table at the office of Brienne Tarth, a seasoned lawyer she looked up to for her advocacy in women’s rights. So far, work life has been smooth although busy. No time for dating until this forced dating travesty by the Westerosi Royals Club.

She got pulled from her thoughts when she heard the unmistakable ding of the elevator opening.

She checked her phone, 7:30PM, just in time.

She squared her shoulders and approached the maitre’d, “Hi. I have a reservation for 7:30PM. Arya Stark.”

“Lady Stark, good evening. Perfect timing. Right this way.”


	3. The Young Stag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are finally getting our first look at our favorite angry boi, Gendry!

Gendy Baratheon checked his phone, 7:20PM.

He was quite early for his date as his liaison, Harry Pie or Hot Pie, was flooding his inbox as early as 9:00AM and messaging him every thirty minutes to remind him of the said dinner. He only stopped when Gendry sent him a photo of the table reserved for him and Arya Stark.

He frowned, he was only doing this matchmaking thing because of his Uncle Renly’s “dying” wish. Well, his uncle did not die but he was just being overdramatic when he got hospitalized for a week due to a stomach bug and managed to manipulate Gendry on signing up for the Westerosi Royals Club. The day after, Renly magically gained his energy back and immediately called the club to schedule an orientation for the matchmaking service for his dearest nephew. Suffice to say, Gendry gave his uncle the silent treatment for a week for his distasteful strategy.

He fidgeted on the cushioned seat of the King’s Restaurant. It’s not his first time here as his Uncle Renly favored the restaurant for his “family” dinners when he is in Kings Landing. Family is still a foreign concept to him even after a few years of being formally named a Baratheon.

Gendry grew up with his mother, no father, no siblings. They lived at a small apartment at Flea Bottom which was just a few blocks away from the diner where his mom works. In the morning, his mom walks him to school and in the afternoon, his mom picks him up and they go back to the diner until they both walk home after the dinner rush at eight. For him, it was a pleasant kind of life.

When Gendry was six, his mother was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He didn’t understand it then but now he knew that someone paid for the hospital bills. That was the first time he met Renly Baratheon, his uncle from his paternal side.

His Uncle Renly took the reins and moved him from their small apartment at Flea Bottom to his posh townhouse at Rhaenys’ Hill. He accompanied Gendry every other day to the hospital to visit his mum. Unfortunately, after three months of aggressive treatment, his mother gave up and at the tender age of seven, Gendry had to say goodbye as the casket was being lowered to the ground.

After that, it was a flurry of paperwork and interviews with lawyers and social workers with his Uncle Renly. He was told they were moving to Storm’s End where his Uncle Renly lives. He suddenly had to switch schools and he was annoyed that he had to wear a scratchy uniform and had to attend additional revision school with a tutor after classes. He was a grumpy kid but his uncle was patient.

Over time, he adjusted to the life in Storm’s End and managed to channel his anger through sports. Loras Tyrell, a special friend of his uncle, taught him rugby and rowing. Sometimes, when the weather is nice and he is not so busy, Renly joins the fray. When the storms roll in, the three of them coop up in the expansive Baratheon garage and start tinkering with old cars.

When Gendry was eight, he met Robert Baratheon for the first time.

Loras and Renly were checking the engine of a 1956 Mercedez Benz Gullwing brought in for restoration while he was standing aside and was tasked to list the work to be done. Suddenly, they heard the honk of a car and a black Lexus drove in the open garage and parked at the far end. When Renly saw the car, the blood drained from his face and the flashlight he was holding fell with a loud clunk on the concrete. Gendry looked at Loras who also looked ashen when he saw a burly man come out of the car.

“Renly! Why are you not answering my calls?!” The man walked furiously to their space.

Gendry can see Loras placing his hand at Renly’s back, a stoic look on his face. Renly gave a nervous smile, “Robert! How nice of you to visit!”

“Can you believe the gall of Cersei! She flew to Casterly Rock with the kids without even telling me! Just because she saw me accept the drink from the lady from the bar last night!,” Robert fumed.

“Okay… why did you not take the other jet to go to Caster--”

“Who the hell are you, boy?,” Robert’s blue eyes suddenly trained on him. Eerily familiar, like looking through a mirror. He can see from his peripheral that both Renly and Loras visibly tense. 

“Gendry, sir, Gendry Waters.”

Robert’s booming laughed filled the garage.

“Are you shitting me, boy? You got the Baratheon look in you. Tell me, Renly, did you finally have the balls to fuck a lady?”

“Fuck you, Robert,” Loras seethed.

“Ahhh, maybe not! Nice seeing you again, Loras,” he nodded and gave Loras and Renly a pat on their shoulders. Robert looked at him again, as if searching, then looked away. “Anyway, I’m knackered. I’ll be in my room if you need me!”

“Robert, we need to talk!” Renly sputtered and immediately followed Robert on his way to the house.

“What’s happening, Uncle Loras? Who’s that guy?” he inquired.

Loras stooped a bit and placed his hands on shoulders, he sighed, “I think it’s best it’s best to wait for your Uncle Renly,” he clapped his hands as if struck by a bright idea, “Oh, I know! Let’s go to Bronzegate today and have some ice cream while at it!”

When they came back at the Baratheon Manor by dinner time, they saw Renly and Robert nursing a glass of scotch each, three empty bottles between them, and papers strewn over the drawing room table.

Robert looked at him, sheepishly with his too familiar blue eyes, “Welcome back, son.”

When Gendry was eight, he met his father for the first time.

He was also not ashamed to admit that he threw his ice cream cup to Robert Baratheon’s face.

Over the years, Robert tried to be more present at Gendry’s life despite his surliness to the situation. Once or twice a month, Robert drives down to Storm’s End to visit and to spend time with him.

When Cersei caught wind of the situation, it became another sensitive point of their marriage, but Robert did not give a fuck. That’s how Gendry accepted that he and Robert are related -- both of them are stubborn as hell -- to the chagrin of his Uncle Renly, of course.

Gendry also met the Baratheons of Dragonstone. His first impression of his Uncle Stannis and Aunt Selyse was that they look like they drank spoiled milk with their perpetually crumpled faces. He cannot believe that they have made a sweet daughter like Shireen, who is well-spoken although shy.

When Gendry was seventeen, he said goodbye to his father for the last time.

Robert Baratheon was not the epitome of health especially with his appetite for food and drink, that’s why it’s not surprising that he had a stroke in the middle of the night and was found cold and unresponsive by one of his maids in his manor in King’s Landing.

A service was held in the Great Sept of Baelor at King’s Landing. Sure, Robert was not the best father, but even for a short time, he made the effort. With that, he allowed himself to grieve a little bit.

When Renly, Loras and himself entered the sept, he felt the judgemental stares and heard the hushed whispers of the congregation. At seventeen, he was already taller than Renly with the muscular built of Robert. With the quintessential Baratheon look, he was sure that the onlookers did not have difficulty piecing things together. All things considered, the stares were nothing compared to the cold daggers that Cersei gave him throughout the service. When he caught one of her looks, he just raised his right eyebrow in challenge which caught her off-guard. After that, Cersei was in her best behavior as the grieving widow of Robert Baratheon, the late Lord Paramount of the Stormlands.

When Gendry was eighteen, he finally took the Baratheon name as specified from Robert’s will. Frankly, he accepted the name as gratitude to his Uncle Renly and not for Robert.

His knees buckled and he had to sit down when he read the document containing his inheritance. It included a considerable fortune, stocks on Robert’s own companies, and part-ownership of the Baratheon estates in Storm’s End.

It was definitely a shock to his system. He gulped, “Uncle Renly… this is too much.”

Renly laughed, “You deserve it, my dear nephew.” He dropped a kiss on top of Gendry’s unruly hair. “Don’t spend it in one place! And maybe drop by the barber while you’re at it!”

There is only one place that Gendry wants to spend the money and he was sure that he will still have a lot to spare even if he pays for the full tuition.

When Gendry was eighteen, he applied for University of Riverrun for their most coveted Engineering program. When he got his acceptance letter a few months after, he laughed so hard that Renly and Loras ran towards him to see what happened.

“Riverrun!”

That was Renly and Loras’s cue to shower him with hugs and pinches, much to his irritation, but he can’t help but laugh with them because he was on cloud nine during that moment.

He got pulled from his stupor when he heard a smooth female voice.

Gendry looked up and was met with the warm gray eyes and the easy smile of Arya Stark.

\--

Arya Stark was led inside the King's Restaurant by the maitre d' and was told that Gendry Baratheon was waiting for her at the only table at the loft.

His back was to her but she can see the Baratheon black hair and the broad shoulders covered by the navy button down he is wearing. She took a deep breath as she approached. _Well, it's now or never._

"Hi. Gendry Baratheon?"

To say that Arya was surprised was an understatement.

Upon hearing his name, Gendry looked up with his baby blue eyes and his slightly disheveled black hair. _What a beautiful man!_

"You look good." Arya can't help but blurt it out, cringing at herself because her mouth ran as fast as her thoughts.

"Uhh, thanks." Gendry stammered, blush staining his cheeks. He stood up and Arya had to tilt her head a bit to see his full height. "So do you," he added while he stared down at her.

"I look like an oak tree," she added, feeling inadequate with her choice of clothing tonight. She found the leaf embroidered green dress buried at the end of her closet. She wore it at Sansa's rehearsal dinner almost two years ago and forgot about it. She thought it was a good dress as they go but definitely not a killer black dress that Jeyne envisioned for her. She sighed.

"Nice, though. A nice oak tree." Gendry reassured with a more even voice.

She chuckled. She can feel the heat at the back of her neck.

"Arya Stark. Nice to meet you." Arya held out her hand.

"Gendry Baratheon, milady."

"Don't call me that!"

She ignored his handshake and instead walked to her seat and sat down across Gendry. She can see him with a slight smile tugging the corner of his lips as he looked at her curiously.

"But you're Lady Arya Stark of Winterfell."

"If it pleases my lord, I can call you that too, Lord Gendry Baratheon of Storm's End."

Gendry frowned. "Just call me Gendry."

"Then just call me Arya."

They nodded at each other. A truce.

She cleared her throat, "So, how do we go about this?"

"I'm not really sure. It's been a long time since I went out for a proper date," he crossed his arms over his chest and Arya can't help but appreciate the bulging muscles.

"Ahh, me too. Sadly, or whatever," she shrugged. "So, is this also your first date from the Matchmaking Service?"

"Yes, actually. I was trying to dodge it for months but Hot Pie was insistent on you," he raised his right eyebrow, "I wonder why..."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Arya smiled teasingly and she can see Gendry become flushed despite his scowl.

Their conversation was interrupted by the waitstaff coming in to deliver their dinner and wine. Arya got a salmon plate which is her go-to order at King's while Gendry got an aromatic stew with some bread on the side.

"This is quite convenient. I usually wait for 20 minutes for this salmon when I go here!" Arya tucked into her fish and looked at Gendry.

"What did you get anyway?" She asked. "This is the first time I've encountered that stew."

"It's actually called Bowl of Brown. A King's Landing staple." He said while stirring the contents on his bowl. "It's mostly beef, basically a meaty stew."

He looked up from his bowl and saw Arya eyeing his food seriously. "You can try it if you want."

Arya smiled at him, got her spoon, then scooped from his bowl. It happened so fast that when he blinked, Arya let out a moan of satisfaction after shoving the stew in her mouth. "It's so good! Interesting spices, mmm."

"It should be good. We are at a five star restaurant, after all. This is a whole different world compared to the bowls I had in Flea Bottom."

"Flea Bottom? I'm not sure if I've been there before. I only moved to King's Landing two years ago."

"I'm sure you haven't, milady." He smirked. "Flea Bottom was an old neighborhood of mine. You can assume from its name what you can see there."

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"There's a big improvement now because of the rehabilitation projects but it’s still stuck with that stinky name. When I lived there, it was the worst and it smelled like piss everywhere."

Arya chuckled, "So that's why you are always scowling! Probably from smelling all the piss when you were a little boy."

Gendry smiled, "Piss off, milady. And finish your food."

They talked through their dinner and basically played Arya's version of 20 questions.

"How old are you anyway?"

"I'm twenty-six... And I can't believe I'm dating a 12 year old."

"I'm twenty-five!"

"Well, you're still short."

"How many siblings do you have?"

"Half-siblings. Joffrey, Myrcella Tommen. But I'm not really close to any of 'em. You?"

"You're Uncle Robert's?" Arya's eyes bulged a bit. "So that's why you look familiar."

"Yeah," Gendry scratched his chin, slightly embarassed.

"He used to be close friend's with my dad until he got married to Cersei. Proper bitch." She added under her breath.

Gendry nodded. "Never enjoyed seeing her. I'm glad they moved back to Casterly Rock."

"From your scowl, I thought your father was Stannis."

He grimaced.

"Or maybe a lovechild of Renly."

"You do know that my Uncle Renly is gay, right?"

"Kinsey Six, I know." Arya laughed. "My boss used to pine over him, but she realized he swings the same way too."

"He is like my father, though. On paper, he was my legal guardian since I was seven."

"What do you do?"

"I finished Engineering at uni but right now I'm all over the place. Back and forth from Storm's End to King's Landing."

"Thank you for participating, Captain Obvious."

Gendry smiled. "Mainly, I supervise Uncle Renly's Customs shop in both areas. In King's Landing, I partly own Robert's microbrewery. I also work part-time for the Baratheon Corp for whatever slavery they want me to do. Family perks, I guess." He shrugged. "How about you?"

"That's a lot. Wow. Okay.... Well, I'm a lawyer. I specialize in International Law, so yeah, same as you. All over the place.” Arya raised her wine glass.

Gendry clinked his with hers, “Well, hello to you too, Captain Obvious.”

“It really depends on our cases at the firm. Most of the time I’m in King’s Landing but I get flown to Essos regularly. Sometimes, I’m in Dorne or Oldtown. I like it when I get trips to Winterfell, though. Free flights home are the best.” Arya supplied while smiling through her wine glass.

“How long do your business trips last?”

“Shortest would be two days, but the longest would be a week.”

“I now understand why you’re forced to date by your parents.” He sniggered.

“As if this thing would help.” Arya rolled her eyes and sighed. “I barely have time for myself these days. Jeyne just sneaked up on me like that and ta da! We’re here.”

Gendy smiled, teeth showing, his wine glass raised. “To Jeyne then.”

Arya softly clinked her glass to his, eyes crinkling in amusement. “To Jeyne.”

“Anyway, to answer your question earlier, I have five siblings. Four brothers and one sister. Sansa is married and lives in Highgarden."

"Married to Willas, right? Eldest brother of Loras?"

"Yes. The four brothers are Robb, the eldest, Bran, comes after me, and Rickon, the youngest. All are in Winterfell. The last one is Jon, he is actually our cousin but we consider him as a brother. He is stationed at the Wall."

"You have a big family." Gendry's brows are furrowed. "Should I be scared of your brothers?"

"Definitely not. You are bigger than them." She smirked at him appreciatively. "Probably stronger too."

Gendry coughed. He drank his wine in one go.

"You're fit. Any sports?"

"Used to be part of the Rowing Team at Riverrun. During off season, I play rugby with my mates."

"Rowing, huh. Care to teach me?"

"I feel like your arms are gonna break after ten minutes." He rolled his eyes. "Maybe try the rowing machine at the gym first."

"How dare you! My arms can handle it!"

Gendry raised his eyebrows. "Sure. Tell me, what sports do you do?"

"Fencing, Archery, Equestrian."

"All rich girl sports," he grunted.

"You don't know any other rich girls." She smirked.

"None yet." He smirked back. "Please remember that this is only my first date and I still have plenty of rich girls to go through."

Arya scoffed, "I'm sure you'll meet your ultimate match after going through, what, 10, 20 prissy ladies."

Gendry seemed disgusted with the idea. "I'm just here because of my Uncle Renly and because I finally got cornered by Hot Pie."

"Hot Pie?"

"He's my Jeyne. Harry Pie is his real name but he prefers Hot Pie because he thinks he is hot.”

"Is he, though?"

"I prefer not to comment. He might set me up with those 20 prissy ladies just to make me suffer."

"I think we are on the same boat. I'm also just here because of my parents. Can you believe they gifted me the club membership and service so they can force me to date?"

At that, Gendry chuckled and looked at her, eyes shining. "Maybe I'm the gift all along?"

Arya flushed then Gendry when he realized the weight of his words.

Arya is nothing but determined.

"So when can I unwrap this present?"

Gendry choked on his wine.

They decided that they were done with their dinner and settled the bill. They were surprised when they checked the time and it was almost 10 PM.

While exiting the restaurant, Gendry asked, "How are you gonna get home?"

"I can book an Uber again, I guess."

Gendy looked at her hesitantly, flushed, "Do you want a ride home? Your place is on my way anyway."

Arya knew that her place at Old Gate is ways off from his place at Rhaenys’ Hill.

"Are you trying to get into my pants tonight, Baratheon?," She challenged.

He glared back at her, "You wish."

"Ahh, pity." Arya bit her lip. "A kiss then?" She is sounding _too desperate_ now.

It really doesn't really help that she had more wine than her wits at this time.

"We’ll see." Gendry stared at her with darker blue eyes and she swore she felt her insides flip.

Gendry led her out of the elevator, still with his hand on middle of her back. Arya felt warm and leaned further into his touch. They approached a black dusty Jeep, an imposing sight among the sea of sleek luxury vehicles in the parking area.

“This yours?” Arya tapped the hood while Gendry opened the driver’s seat.

“Yeah. You think you can reach the passenger seat, milady?” Gendry snickered.

“Damn you, Baratheon!”

Arya opened the the passenger side door and hoisted herself up to the seat. She’s thankful she wore her five inch chunky heels tonight to help her with this ordeal. Arya huffed when she finally settled on the seat after fixing her twisted dress.

“Ah, there you go.” Gendry fastened his seatbelt and snickered. “And here I thought you’d need a boost.”

“Well, no thank you--”

Arya just about squeaked when Gendry leaned over the center console and reached over at her side. The smell of pine and soap invaded her senses.

Gendry’s face stopped just a few centimeters away from hers and she almost forgot how to breathe. She just needs to tilt her head a bit and their lips will meet. She unconsciously licked her lips while looking down at Gendry’s chapped ones.

“Buckle up, milady.”

She heard the click of the seatbelt and with that, Arya was pulled from her daydream. She took a deep breath and looked away bashfully.

Gendry cleared his throat as he started the car. “Well, let’s get you home.”

The ride was smooth despite the initial awkwardness that they had when they entered Gendry’s car. They managed to continue with their conversation.

“So, I’m pretty sure that Old Gate is on the opposite side of Rhaenys’ Hill.” Arya declared teasingly. “Are you sure you’re from King’s Landing?”

Gendry’s eyes narrowed, “I’m pretty sure I offered you a ride and I can very well drop you off here if I want to.”

“No, thank you. Your seats are quite comfy.” Arya burrowed further into the seat. 

“Is that your own place on Rhaenys’ Hill?,” she asked.

“No. It’s Uncle Renly’s but I mostly stay there now. My uncle prefers staying at Storm’s End or Highgarden anyway.” Gendry shrugged. “How about your place in Old Gate?”

“It’s actually for the whole Stark family but I’m the only one staying there with my dog.” She smiled, “It’s an old apartment building but the view is amazing and it’s near the bus stop and subway.”

“You don’t drive?”

“I do but I just like the efficiency of public transport. I can work on the go.”

“Ah, I forgot you are a busy person.”

“How about you? Why have this Jeep instead of a sports car like the trust fund baby you are.”

Gendry scoffed. “I basically grew up with sports cars. Renly and Loras had me cleaning engines at our garage in Storm’s End. But this Jeep,” he paused, smiling, “I bought with my own money before I went away for uni. It’s second hand so I got it cheap and I just upgraded the hell out of it.”

“Anyway, I never felt comfortable using that inheritance money except when I paid for my college fees and apartment. Quite helpful during that time.”

“Interesting. So what happened to the rest of the money?”

Gendry glowered and Arya was sure he wouldn’t respond anymore.

“I had them invested. The Baratheons have a financial manager to help with that kind of shit.”

“Sorry for making you uncomfortable,” she steeled on, “but you should be more open on talking about them especially if your planning to date 20 more prissy ladies”

He almost let out a laugh. “You sure about that?”

“How many relationships have you had?”

“Um, I… ” 

“I only had one, when I was in Essos. But it’s just two months and we didn’t formally label it. So…I’m not really sure,” Arya added.

“Well, uh, three, I guess. During college.”

“Interesting.”

Before Arya can pepper him with more questions, Gendry slowed down at the curb of Arya’s building.

“We’re here.”

“Do you want to--”

Arya dropped the idea and looked at Gendry hesitantly, as if she was waiting for him to make his move.

“I’ll walk you to your door.”

As it turns out, walking Arya to her door would mean riding the elevator up to the penthouse. They just kept glancing at each other and looking away embarrassingly the whole ride up. There was tension in the air, Gendry can feel it.

When the elevator door opened, it felt like both of them stopped breathing. Arya stepped out and started towards the brown door at the end of the corridor, Gendry promptly followed.

“Well, this is me.” Arya faced him, head tilted up. “Surprisingly, I had a great time tonight.”

Gendry felt the blush creeping up the back of his neck. “Me too, Arya. Thank you for--”

Before Gendry can finish his sentence, Arya pulled his head to hers and touched her lips to his.

It was a brief kiss and Arya peered up to him with satisfied smile.

“I’ve been wanting to do that--”

Before Arya can finish her sentence, Gendry held Arya by the waist and pulled her in to a more heated kiss. Arya responded with the same intensity as him. She might have moaned a few times especially when Gendry started exploring her mouth with his warm tongue.

By the time they stopped for air, they can’t help but chuckle at their predicament. They were flushed, both with swollen lips and disheveled hair. Arya loosened her grip around Gendry’s hair, fluffing it down from disarray. Meanwhile, Gendry relaxed his grip around Arya’s waist and moved his other hand from the back of her neck to her face, rubbing the redness blooming on her cheeks.

Gendry smiled, a smug look on his face. “That kiss enough for you, milady?”

Arya pushed him playfully. “I’m sure you’ll get better with practice, Baratheon.”

“Well, as I was saying,” Gendry cleared his throat and finally let go of Arya. “I had a great time tonight.”

Arya looked disappointed as Gendry pulled away but managed to smile at him. “I guess this matchmaking thing is not so bad, after all.”

“I suppose.” Gendry shrugged, his smile faltering a bit. “Good night, Arya.” 

“Good night, Gendry” She bade goodbye softly and Gendry nodded at her.

He entered the elevator and after pressing the down button, Arya called him out.

“Message me, yeah?”

Gendry gave him a small smile but he never answered back.

_What the fuck just happened?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry, that was a long backstory for Gendry! I really love the headcanon in which Gendry lives with his gay uncles and I just had to use it in this fic. For my purposes: Gendry is the only bastard of Robert Baratheon and Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are all legitimate children from Cersei (no incest here). Renly kept tabs of Robert’s dalliances since he is the unofficial PR guy of the Baratheons and eventually took guardianship of Gendry upon his mother’s death. 
> 
> This chapter felt a bit dragging and I hope it’s not too confusing when I change POV. Let me know how you find this chapter! If you have any more questions, hit me up in the comments. Suggestions are welcome!


	4. An Impasse

Arya woke up to her 5 AM alarm begrudgingly. She had a difficult time sleeping last night after her date with Gendry Baratheon. He definitely got her hot and bothered but everytime Arya replays the scene in her head, she can’t help but grimace everytime she remembers Gendry’s half-hearted smile at the elevator.

Maybe, she was just overthinking what happened. _Maybe._

She went through her morning routine a bit distractedly. Thank the heavens it’s a Saturday and she can afford to slow down.

While cooking her breakfast, she heard the unmistakable chime of her phone. Suffice to say, she immediately grabbed it from its place at the kitchen counter, heart racing and hoping it was a message from Gendry.

It was from Jeyne.

_Jeyne Heddle WRC: Hi Arya! Just checking in. How was your date with Mr. Gendry Baratheon last night?_

Arya grunted, disappointed.

_Arya Stark: Good morning, Jeyne. It was actually nice even though he’s a bit grumpy. Thanks for choosing King’s, btw._

It was an honest reply. She wanted to say more but she’s afraid she might be overreaching. 

_Jeyne Heddle WRC: That’s good to hear! Should I schedule a second date, maybe this Wednesday?_

Arya chewed her lip, trying to think of a better reply except a resounding “YES!!!!!!!”.

She erased that thought when Gendry’s half-smile flashed in her mind.

She’s _almost_ sure that there was an instant connection between the two of them but Gendry seemed to have lost interest when they said goodbye. She might be reading the signals incorrectly the whole night. She sighed. _But that kiss, though._

Before she can compose an acceptable reply to Jeyne, her phone rang, immediately shifting her attention.

_Brienne Tarth calling…_

“Good morning, Brienne! What’s up?”

“Hi Arya. Sorry to call you this early but I would need to spoil your week.”

“And how can I be of help this time, hmm?”

“The secretary of Illyrio Mopatis just called the firm and they need someone to look over their revised contracts, among other things.”

“Don’t they have a legal team for that?”

“Yes but they prefer an additional outside counsel. They basically rehauled Illyrio’s conglomerate all over Essos.”

“Damn, that looks like a lot of work.”

Arya’s brows furrowed. She really hates corporate law but it rakes in big money for their firm.

“It is. I’ll be sending in Lyanna Mormont with you. I’m assured you’ll have the full support of the legal team in their Pentos office.”

“So Pentos then. How long?”

“Just a week for the meetings and initial reviews but you may have to fly in when they request it.” Brienne paused at the other end. She can hear her typing something. “I’m sending in their job order and schedule for the week. I’ll also be forwarding you the flight and hotel details in a bit.”

“Brilliant. Thanks, Brienne.”

They dropped the call and her phone instantly dinged with another message from Jeyne.

_Jeyne Heddle WRC: So, are we set for Wednesday? Visenya has a good tasting menu that you and Mr. Baratheon might enjoy._

Another ding. It was the emails from Brienne.

She took a deep breath. Maybe it’s a sign from the universe.

_Arya Stark: Sorry, just got off the phone from work. I’ll be in Pentos for the whole week… so I guess, rain check?_

_\--_

After reading Brienne’s emails and updating her schedule, Arya immediately set to work to prepare for her trip which is basically just getting her slightly battered carry-on from her closet and dropping off Nymeria at Jory Cassel’s.

House Cassel is part of the minor nobility from the North and has been close with the Starks for generations. Jory is one of the sons of Rodrick Cassel, her father’s right hand man and business partner. He moved to King’s Landing as one of the Northern Representatives, leaning towards politics instead of business, much to the initial disappointment of his father. Over time, the move became quite beneficial for their families since Jory became their go-to person in King’s Landing.

She sent a quick text to Jory to see if she can drop off Nymeria in the afternoon and she got an affirmative reply after ten minutes.

“I guess, we need to go to the groomers, Nym,” She can see Nymeria put out her sad puppy dog eyes, “Don’t give me that look!”

\--

Arya finally had her Saturday afternoon schedule sorted out: bring Nymeria at the groomers, buy kibble and treats that would be enough for a week, pick up some of Jory’s favorite pastries from that cafe near Mud Gate, and then drop off Nymeria at Jory’s house at River Row.

It was a good plan, really.

\--

When Arya entered the cafe, the smell of butter, cinammon, and coffee invaded her senses. She definitely needs her second cup of coffee right about now and she checked her watch, 3:15 PM. She has less than an hour before she picks up Nymeria from the groomers. Perfect time for a cup of coffee and a slice of lemon tart that she likes.

After getting her order, she proceeded to find a table and she found an unoccupied one at the end of the cafe.

She was slowly making her to the table, trying to avoid hitting other customers when her food tray met resistance.

“Oh sorry, I--”

Arya stammered when she met eyes with the sky blue ones that has been haunting her since last night.

_Fucking hells._

\--

Gendry almost dropped his coffee cup and his laptop when he met the stormy gaze of Arya Stark.

It was quite comical to see her face start with the look of shock, then recognition, then irritation in the span of a few seconds. He felt a sudden wave of guilt but eventually spoke up.

“You’re far from home, milady.”

She rolled her eyes, “I can say the same for you, Baratheon.”

Gendry moved, giving way for Arya to continue to her table. He doesn’t know why but he followed and sat opposite to her when she settled on the corner table.

Arya raised her eyebrow.

Gendry can feel the blush creeping and scratched the back of his neck. “Well, the Customs shop is just on the the other side. Street of Steel, yeah.”

He tipped his paper cup up, “Just went out to have some coffee and well… how about you?”

“Supposedly, I was just gonna pick up some pastries here but I figured I have plenty of time to kill until my dog finishes with the groomers down the street.” Arya supplied although reluctantly.

“Seems like a busy day,” Gendry surmised. He felt like he was walking on eggshells today.

Arya drank from her coffee cup leisurely. “Don’t you need to be back to work now, Baratheon?”

_Ah, there it is._ Gendry smirked while relaxing his back on the seat. “No, not really.”

Arya grunted as she remembered that Gendry supervises Renly’s Customs shop and can probably go in and out as he pleases.

She started eating her tart thinking that if she focuses on her food, Gendry will eventually ignore her and leave. _Or not._

Gendry cleared her throat. “As I was saying, you’re in the other side of King’s Landing, milady.”

“So?” Arya huffed and shot a glare at Gendry. He raised his right brow in question.

“I’m gonna drop off my dog, Nymeria, at a family friend’s house at River Row.”

“Why?”

“I’ll be in Pentos next week. Business trip.” Arya said with a more subdued tone than earlier.

_Oh. So that’s why._ Gendry grimaced remembering Hot Pie’s agenda for him today. He furrowed his brow, eventually making up his mind. He can very much well fucking _try_.

“So, about last night--”

Arya’s phone rang stopping Gendry’s ramble.

“It’s from the groomers. Is it okay if I--”

Gendry nodded before Arya can finish her question. With that, she answered her phone while Gendry settled on observing his companion.

Arya with her brown hair up in a messy bun today, black oversized sunglasses perched on top of her head.

Arya with her strong eyebrows, twinkling eyes like molten metal.

Arya with her straight and delicate nose with a smattering of light freckles reaching up to the apples of her cheeks.

Arya with her naturally pink lips, curved into an open smile, her perfect white teeth peeking through as she talked.

Those _fucking_ lips that were the star of his dreams last night, tethered to his lips first, then going lower and lower--

Gendry closed his eyes, mentally berating himself for such traitorous thoughts. When he opened his eyes, he saw a flushed Arya, trying not to smile.

“Um, sorry, that was the groomers. They told me that Nymeria’s gonna be done in 15 minutes.”

Without waiting for Gendry’s reply, Arya scarfed down the remaning tart and drank the rest of her coffee.

Gendry suppressed his laugh and drank the rest of his coffee, thinking if he should still rehash their date last night.

Arya cleared her throat which got Gendry’s attention. She looked at him apologetically. “Sorry, Gendry, I really need to go.”

_Oh. Maybe not._ Gendry stood up, mirroring Arya. “Yeah, me too, I guess.”

They walked to the counter where Arya picked up her pastry box and they exited the cafe together.

“So, I guess, this is another goodbye, Baratheon.” Arya gave him a small smile.

He doesn’t really want to say goodbye and blurted out the first thing in his mind.

“Do you want a ride?”

_Fuck._ His car is parked in the office.

“B-but we have to go back to my--”

“No, no, it’s fine!” She dangled her car keys in front of his face, recognizing the brand. “I brought my car today.”

Gendry looked around and grimaced. “I don’t see any Teslas here, Arya.”

“Well, it’s ‘cause I parked it at the groomers, you bull-headed idiot!” she huffed and started walking down the street.

Gendry sniggered and in two strides, he was on Arya’s side and caught her free hand.

He suddenly felt a bolt of electricity running through his arms and almost dropped Arya’s hand.

And it seems like she felt the same and stopped walking. She stared at him, gray eyes big and surprised.

“Uh, is this okay?” Gendry referring to their clasped hands.

He saw Arya’s face flush in a matter of seconds.

“You’re already holding it, stupid!” She tugged, trying to pry off her hand.

“I’m gonna walk you to the groomers, okay?” Gendry gave her the most charming smile he can do, hoping it will make her say yes.

He can see her getting redder and trying to suppress a smile. “Fine!”

Gendry snorted and intertwined their fingers.

He welcomed the warmth spreading from their palms as Arya pulled them to the the right direction.

\--

“My baby!!!”

Arya immediately let go of his hand as soon as they entered the shop and made a beeline towards a huge shaggy dog waiting past the counter.

The dog stood on its hind legs and Gendry’s eyes bulged out when its paws rested on Arya’s shoulders and licked Arya’s face. “You missed me, Nym?”

Arya giggled the whole time and then ruffled the dog’s head, “Down, girl.”

The staff handed the leash to Arya and opened the indoor fence so the dog can walk out of the space. “Come one, Nym. Let me introduce you to someone.”

Gendry froze in place and gulped. It’s not like he’s afraid of dogs but Arya’s dog is almost as tall as her with teeth that can probably snap his neck in half.

“Gendry, hold out your hand.” He can see a slight tremor when he raised his free hand forward and out.

“Nymeria, this is Gendry.”

Nymeria slowly approached his hand and smelled it.

Nymeria’s curious golden eyes and Gendry’s nervous blue ones met and they blinked at the same time.

After that, Nymeria licked his hand tentatively and then she prodded her snout on his palm. She eventually wiggled near his waist, tail wagging.

“Oh, you can pet her now. She likes you.” Arya glanced at him expectantly.

Gendry nuzzled his hand on top of Nymeria’s head and moved to her ears. “Wow, she’s very soft.” He can’t help but smile at the sensation. “Also warm.”

“She’s a great cuddle buddy especially during winter... but she always hogs the bed!”

Arya patted Nym’s belly, prompting her to look back at Arya. “Let’s go, Nym!”

Nymeria yipped and made her way to the door, Arya and Gendry following her. Upon exiting the shop, Arya led the way to the parking spot and walked towards a red Tesla.

“Nice ride.” Gendry went around the car while Arya unlocked the rear door to let Nymeria inside and opened the windows.

Gendry stopped his tracks when he heard Arya clear her throat, her hand poised on the driver’s side door. He walked closer to her.

“Well, um, this has been nice, but I need to go now, Baratheon.”

Arya offered further. “Do want a ride to your shop or?”

“No, it’s fine. I can walk back.”

“Okay then.” Arya grinned.

Gendry chuckled and then turned serious, staring straight at Arya’s eyes. “Hey, I just want to apologize if I came across as a jerk last night.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “I was supposed to message you today but I got caught up with work.”

Arya nodded. “Yeah, no problem.” She sighed. “Thanks for clearing that up though. I thought you were not interested.”

He grunted and gave a piercing look. “Don’t you worry, milady. I’m _very very_ interested.”

Their faces were slowly drawing closer and they can already smell the coffee from each other’s breath when Arya’s phone dinged, breaking the spell.

Arya checked her phone and scowled. It was just another email from Brienne.

Gendry opened the door for her and Arya slipped in to the driver's seat.

He then looked at the back and bade goodbye to his new friend. “Nice meeting you, Nymeria.” He patted the dog once more and Nymeria licked his face in response.

He went back to Arya’s side and made sure she’s buckled up and smiled down at her.

She gave a shy smile back and reached for his ears so he can scoot down to her level.

“Message me, yeah?”

“I’ll try my best, milady. Keep safe in Pentos.”

With that, Gendry leaned forward and placed a kiss on Arya’s cheek.

\--

Later that night, Arya was back at her neighborhood and decided to get her favorite pasta as a reward for surviving the day. She accomplished everything in her to-do list and even saw Gendry unexpectedly, which was a nice surprise.

She called in her order so that she can just pick it up and eat it at home. She’s planning for an early night since her flight to Pentos leaves at 8 AM.

The Italian restaurant was just five blocks away and she decided to walk, humming the whole time. When she arrived, the hostess who remembered her by face, smiled at her and asked her to wait for a few more minutes for her food. It was a busy Saturday night and she can hear the muted chatter from inside of the restaurant.

She sat down on the waiting bench and checked her phone. She was starting on a particularly riveting article when she heard a melodious voice saying -- “Hi, I have a reservation at 8 PM, with Gendry Baratheon.”

She looked up and saw a tall woman, about her age, with wavy blonde hair and wearing a fitted black dress and Louboutin heels. Her heart thudded faster as the hostess assisted the woman inside the restaurant.

She stood up from her perch and followed them inside but halfway through, she already spotted the towering figure of Gendry Baratheon as the woman leaned in forward for a --

She turned around and ran out of the restaurant as fast as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to be a part of a much longer chapter but I thought it deserved its own spotlight. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Up next: Pentos and a date! *wink wink*


	5. Summerhall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya arrives in Pentos and relationships bloom.

Arya arrived at Pentos with Lyanna Mormont in tow for their week-long business trip.

After checking in to their two-bedroom suite and getting late lunch at a nearby restaurant, Arya finally let herself breathe.

Her mind drifted to what happened yesterday. She was having a phenomenal afternoon, thinking that she and Gendry stood a chance, only then for her insides to fall to the floor, breaking, as she saw Gendry and that beautiful blonde woman at the restaurant.

 _Very very interested, huh?_ She grimaced.

“You okay there, Arya?”

Arya looked up to see the concerned face of Lyanna and tried to smile.

Lyanna Mormont is a new addition in Brienne’s team, fresh out of White Castle University with a business-related degree, and having just finished her internship at the firm. She was a hardworking girl despite being the heiress of the prominent House Mormont of Bear Island. It also helps that she’s a Northerner through and through, just like Arya.

Before she can reply, her phone dinged with a message.

_Unknown Number: Hey. This is Gendry. Let me know if you landed safely in Pentos. x_

She huffed angrily and a thought passed her mind. Maybe she can discuss this with Lyanna? A fresh eye never hurts from time to time.

“Well, there’s this guy,” she cleared her throat trying to curb the initial embarrassment. “We went on a date last week and saw each other yesterday too.”

Lyanna nodded, urging her to continue.

“We actually got together because of a matchmaking service by Westerosi Royals Club.”

“Bullshit,” Lyanna snorted.

“I’m not shitting you, Lya. There’s such a thing.” Arya can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it. “It even has a membership fee, all the works.”

“How the hell did you end up there?,” she asked, incredulously.

“My parents gifted it to me for my birthday!” Arya deflated on her chair.

“Anyway, so this guy and I -- we just clicked, you know?” She stammered, trying to explain her feelings. “But last night, I saw him on a date with another girl.” Her eyes narrowed. “And just now, he had the nerve to text me!”

“Ahhh, I see it now.” Lyanna chuckled. “You’re jealous!”

“I’m not--”

“Oh, yes you are.” The younger girl paused to think. “But Arya, let me remind you, you’re actually using a dating service.”

“It’s a _matchmaking_ service.”

“Yeah, a dating service. You just made it sound posh.” She muttered. “And based from my very limited experience on dating, isn’t it like, going from one guy to another until it works out?”

“So you think we didn’t work out?” _And does he have to date someone else immediately?_ Arya was disappointed, already regretting the decision to pick the younger girl’s brain.

“If you think about it, it was _just_ two dates. Nothing to write home about. And besides, there’s nothing to be jealous about since you weren’t exclusively dating yet.”

Arya chewed her lower lip at the younger girl’s nonchalant reply. She’s right though. It was just two dates -- well, one, _officially --_ and she’s already feeling daft about the situation.

“Besides, there’s no rule that stops you from dating other people too.” Lyanna nodded to her direction.

“Anyway, we’re gonna be swamped with work for possibly weeks on end with this Illyrio contract so I’m not sure if you’ll still have the energy to date, Arya.”

Arya smiled and sighed in defeat.

\--

_Arya Stark: Hey, thanks for checking in. Already in Pentos. x_

\--

And work they did, starting 8 AM and ending past office hours, their work overflowing up to their suite’s dining room. 

It was convenient how their client booked them accommodations just across their company building. They definitely do not like wasting time and prefers milking their money for it’s worth.

It was the kind of rush that Arya needed to distract her from a certain blue-eyed boy.

\--

It was around noon time on Wednesday when she got a call from Jeyne.

“Hi Miss Arya! How are you? I hope you’re not too busy to talk?”

“Hey Jeyne, it’s fine. What’s up?”

“Well, I just saw from your calendar that you’re in Pentos and I was hoping if I can arrange a date for you? I found a good prospect.”

“Here in Pentos? I thought the club is for Westerosis only?”

Jeyne chuckled on the other end.

“He is Westerosi but has several businesses in Essos. Right now, he is also in Pentos for a business trip slash vacation, as per his liaison.”

Arya bit her lower lip, weighing if this is a good idea.

“Interesting. Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Aegon Targaryen VI. Are you familiar with him?”

She racked her brain if she is but only came up with old Aegons and Aemons.

“Don’t worry, Arya. He’s one of the young Targaryens.”

She heard Jeyne suppress a laugh when she grunted.

“So what do you think? I can set you up for Friday night.”

She sighed. A date wouldn’t hurt right? And if she can remember correctly, the Targaryens are very easy on the eyes and would hopefully raise her mood come end of their hectic week.

Most importantly, she is single and can date other people too, right? _Right._

“Okay, Jeyne. Let’s go for it.” Arya said with a smile.

“Brilliant! I’ll send you the details in a bit.”

_8_ _:_ _0_ _0PM_ _(Friday)_

_Dinner at_ _Shy Maid, No. 3 Sunset Gate, Pentos_

_With_ _Aegon Targaryen VI_

_(Appointment done by Jeyne Heddle, WRC)_

\--

When Friday rolled in, Arya already felt like a zombie despite getting enough hours of sleep per night. She is not physically tired but her mind felt like goo after looking at piles of old paperwork and hundreds of encoded files for hours.

It was almost lunch time when someone’s phone rang and both Arya and Lyanna squeaked in surprise from the noise.

It was message from Jeyne.

_Jeyne Heddle WRC: Good morning Miss Arya! Don’t forget your date at 8PM today at the Shy Maid. Good luck and enjoy!_

Arya’s eyes widened in shock. She forgot about it and massaged her temples as if to lessen the tension.

“What’s wrong, Arya?” Lyanna asked, concerned, while she was filing some documents into folders.

“Remember that matchmaking thing? Got a date tonight and I almost forgot about it.” She grunted.

“Ooh, I see.” Lyanna patted the stack of folders to her right. “You know, were almost done right?” She said with huge grin.

“Seriously?” Arya perked up and surveyed the the conference table. True enough, there were only a few documents scattered that would just need sorting. “Thank the Old Gods!”

“I think the late nights paid off.” Lyanna fell back on the plush office chair, with a relaxed smile on her face. “Can’t wait to go to the pub.”

“Yeah, let’s go to the pub after this. Gods know we need a drink.”

“I thought you have a date?” Lyanna asked teasingly.

Arya rolled her eyes and snorted.

“And then, I’ll go to my date.”

\--

Arya arrived at meeting place just before the scheduled time. She sighed in relief. She and Lyanna enjoyed their trip to the pub too much and before they knew it, Arya has to rush to their hotel room to prepare for her date.

She’s arrived at the address, No.3 Sunset Gate, same as the metal plate nailed to the stone wall, but she can’t see any indication that this is the Shy Maid.

She looked around and saw the street coming alive, with people exiting their luxury vehicles and entering the other bars for the usual Friday night life at the more affluent bay area of Pentos.

She chewed her lip while checking her phone again. She was in the right place according to the map but online reviews are scarce even after perusing the first five pages of the search page. She can see a red door with a black dragon head knocker on the corner of the building, maybe she can start from there.

She faced the red door and she was about to knock when she heard her name being called with the familiar smell of smoke, lemons, and the sea.

“Arya Stark?”

She slowly turned around to the sound of the voice from her memories.

She was met with a willowy man, a head taller than her, with shoulder length platinum blonde hair with blue tips… but it was the sapphire eyes, the color of the sky after sunset in Tyrosh when she first saw him, that knocked her breath off.

“Griff?”

A pause then recognition dawned on his face.

“Cat?” He said softly, as if in disbelief.

“You’re Aegon _fucking_ Targaryen?!” Arya groaned incredulously.

“The sixth of my name.” He laughed. “I can’t believe it. Arya Stark.”

“Fucking unbelievable.” Arya muttered under her breath, glaring at Aegon.

“I think we should talk inside?” He grinned at her.

Aegon lifted the dragon head knocker and spoke, “Dracarys.”

\--

As it turns out, Arya was definitely at the right place.

Shy Maid is a speakeasy with a password that doubles as the door charge. Inside, there was an extensive neon-lit bar with shelves full of liquor reaching up to the ceiling, there were several two to four seater tables in the middle, and some dimly lit alcoves at odd corners of the room, where Arya found herself seated across Aegon, who is _unsurprisingly_ the owner of this establishment.

Her wandering eyes landed back on Griff -- well, Aegon, now -- who has a curious glint in his eyes.

“Arya Stark. I think we ought to reintroduce ourselves, hmm?”

“I think were past the point of introduction, Aegon Targaryen.”

They shared a meaningful look. Their escapades in Tyrosh and Lys were short but definitely remarkable. Arya can definitely feel the pleasant warmth thrumming through her body at the memories and she’s sure that Aegon is too, with his eyes going impossibly darker.

“Ah, you’re right as usual, love” Aegon smiled. “It’s just names, although it seems, we have quite powerful ones.”

“Is that why you’re part of the club?”

“You can say that.” Aegon chuckled. “Also, my father has been hounding me to get married. He tells me it will help me _settle down_.” He had a sad smile on. “And what better way to start but with the crème de la crème.”

“Touché.”

\--

The hours passed as they reminisced about the time they spent together and shared stories about their life during their time apart.

It was easy to fall back into their previous banter especially when they were supplied with good food and even better alcohol.

And it was even easier to lean in and reacquaint themselves with each others lips as the night wore on.

The rest of the night went through a blur but it definitely ended with a bed and with the two of them fumbling through their clothes.

\--

When Arya woke up, she groaned at her throbbing head, at her state of undress, and at the man currently wrapped around her.

_Fuck._

She looked around the dim surroundings and noticed that they made it back in her hotel room.

 _Shit._ She hopes that Lyanna is a heavy sleeper.

She carefully disentangled the arms around her but it was fruitless as the hold became tighter and she was met with Aegon’s half-lidded stare. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Arya cleared her throat which felt like sandpaper. “I hope you understand that I’m not really the kind of girl who sleeps on the first date.”

Aegon chuckled softly and rested his forehead against Arya’s.

“I know that, love. But I can’t help it.” Aegon stared at her intently. “You _are_ so beautiful, Arya.”

Arya snorted. “You’re just saying that to get inside my pants.”

“I thought I already did.” He said, smugly.

There was a lull in their conversation until Aegon spoke up.

“I want to continue seeing you, Arya.”

“Do you think we will work _this time_?”

“We will make it work.”

\--

True enough, Aegon kept his word.

Whenever he is in King’s Landing, he’ll take Arya out to lunch or pick her up after work and they’ll share a nice dinner together and another tumble in the bedroom. When his business kept him in Essos for a longer period, he usually sends in flowers and chocolates at her office, much to her embarrassment with the constant teasing from her colleagues, especially from Lyanna. (It turns out, the younger girl did _hear_ them and she even caught them shuffling out of the bedroom later that morning.)

Aegon can also be quite extravagant in his affections and can make Arya uncomfortable despite the status that they both have. In one instance, he flew to Dorne following Arya on her business trip and then drove them down the beaches for a weekend stay. The weekend after that, he got Arya on a private plane for a weekend in Braavos. And whenever Arya flew in to Essos for her business trips, Aegon was almost always there, giving her a good time after work.

So yes, despite the blatant use of his wealth, Aegon was a doting lover and Arya can definitely admit she was at peace in their so-called relationship.

\--

They were just nearing three months into their relationship when Aegon asked her to come to a gala night at his family’s newly renovated estate slash enterprise, The SummerHall at the Stormlands.

As a dutiful girlfriend, Arya said yes and even agreed to have a matching ensemble with Aegon upon his insistence.

\--

It has been a long time since Arya set foot in the Stormlands.

If she remembered correctly, the first time she visited the region was when Robert Baratheon, one of her father’s closest friends, invited their family over to spend their summer there. She and Bran were just toddlers then and she can barely remember the details even with the help of old film photos from the trip. As an adult, her trips to the Stormlands had been few and far between and all work-related.

This is the first time that Arya was there for leisure and she ought to relax, but she can’t help but feel her heart racing at the possibility of crossing paths with the Baratheons, the paramount family of the Stormlands -- well, just _one_ Baratheon in particular.

She sighed. She hasn’t heard from Gendry since Pentos.

They exchanged a handful of messages over that week but they were bland _…_ like how new friends exchange messages.

Eventually, her focus shifted to her workload, then Aegon entered the picture, and that was it.

\--

The gala at Summerhall was in full swing and Arya already lost count on the number of champagne flutes handed to her. While shuffling in between guests, she also lost Aegon somewhere around the ballroom and was no doubt still talking to other business partners and visitors.

She was grateful that Aegon introduced her immediately to his family upon arriving at Summerhall the day prior because as of the moment, she was not at her top form. She felt warm from the wine and decided to go the garden at the grounds to get some fresh air.

Even with the considerable number of people in the ballroom, Arya observed that some people prefer socializing in the garden. There was a tent in the middle with a good spread of hors d’oeuvres and small confections, and at the end of the table, there were several bottles of wine chilling in the gilded steel tub. She forgot the last time she ate solid food since the party started and she thought it was time to remedy that and proceeded to the tent.

She was in her fourth or fifth canapé when someone called her attention.

“Arya?”

She turned around and her mouth opened involuntarily when her eyes glanced over Gendry Baratheon, standing beside her, wearing a crisp black coat with a printed t-shirt underneath, his hair slightly unkempt as if he ran his hand through it before talking to her.

He cleared his throat and looked smug. “It’s rude to chew with your mouth open, milady.”

Arya blinked rapidly, swallowed her food, and stammered a reply. “Hey, Gendry.”

Gendry leaned in while Arya pulled back and then suddenly it was more awkward than it was a few seconds ago.

“Hey yourself.” His face fell a bit. “It’s been a long time.”

She smiled a bit. “Yeah.” She coughed, not knowing how to answer that but with a safe and friendly: “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” His eyes gazed over her form and Arya can’t help but blush at the attention. “How about you? It’s a surprise to see you here, so far from King’s Landing.”

“I’m brilliant, thanks.” Arya muttered. “Did you fly in from King’s Landing or just Storm’s End?”

“Came in from Storm’s End with Uncle Renly.” He did a quick survey of the garden. “He’s probably in the ballroom. Did you come with anyone?”

It was a loaded question and Arya was hesitant to answer.

“Well--”

“Ahh, Gendry, there you are!”

Arya and Gendry turned their heads to the voice. She saw a carbon copy of Gendry, although shorter and happier -- Renly, if she was not mistaken -- walking towards them with a beaming Aegon beside him.

Aegon walked faster to her side then placed his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. “Arya, love, I’ve been looking for you.”

Gendry scowled when realization dawned on him and Arya can’t help but shoot an abashed look his way.

“I have someone I want you to meet.” Aegon continued and gestured towards the other man. “This is Renly Baratheon, the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands.”

Renly gave her an amused smile, his eyes going from Gendry to her. “Pleasure to meet you, Lady Arya. Aegon has been talking my ear off about you ever since he caught me earlier.” He chuckled.

“Arya is fine. It’s nice to meet you, too.” She held out her hand to shake but Renly caught it for a soft kiss.

“You look dashing, my lady.” She blushed as Renly still kept her hand in his grasp. “Both of you do, actually. Very cute,” shifting his focus now to Aegon.

“Anyway, Aegon, this is my nephew, Gendry.” Renly patted Gendry’s shoulder.

Aegon loosened his arm around her and stood straighter as he offered his hand. 

“Gendry, this is Aegon Targaryen. Son of Rhaegar, remember?”

Gendry’s eyes narrowed, his lips in a thin line, as he shook Aegon’s hand firmly.

“Nice to meet you, Gendry.”

He grunted, “Likewise.”

“Do you and Arya know each other?” Aegon asked, his scrutinizing gaze on Gendry. 

“We’re… acquainted.” He answered in a clipped tone.

“Ohh, interesting. Where did you two meet?” Renly urged. There was a glint in his eyes that made Arya uncomfortable.

Gendry and Arya shared a quick glance and answered at the same time.

“King’s Landing.” He said.

“At the Customs shop.” She said.

Arya cleared her throat. “I had a car problem somewhere in Mud Gate and his shop was nearest at the Street of Steel.” She nodded, as if to make it more believable for herself. “A few months back.” Gendry nodded back, trying to smile.

“I told you, love. It was time to buy a new car.” Aegon looked at her softly.

“My car is fine.” She groaned.

“Anyway, if you’re in the lookout for a car, give me or Gendry a call, yes?” Renly smirked and Gendry glared at his uncle. “Though we do have a bigger selection back at Storm’s End.”

“Maybe we can plan a visit then, Renly? I don’t think Arya’s ever been to Storm’s End.” Aegon smiled at her, pleased with the idea.

“Just let me know so I can have rooms prepared for you at the manor.” He replied, a satisfied look in his face.

“Sure, I’ll let you know.” Aegon nodded and faced Arya. “Anyway, love, my mother was also looking for you. Something about your plans for tomorrow.”

He turned his attention back to Renly and Gendry. “I hope you don’t mind but I have to steal my girlfriend now.”

Arya can see the corner of Gendry’s lip twitch while Renly let out a laugh.

“It’s no problem, Aegon. It’s past time you whisk away your lady love from us two miserable men.”

Aegon chuckled, “Hopefully, not too miserable, Renly, Gendry. I wish you both a good night.” He nodded at the two Baratheons.

“It was nice meeting you, Renly.” She smiled and turned to Gendry. “You too, Gendry.”

“Good night, Arya.”

“Good night, Gendry.”

\--

Gendry woke up at the crack of dawn.

After the messy meeting last night, he bade goodbye to his uncle and went back to their assigned rooms inside Summerhall.

It definitely came as a surprise to see Arya here, _but_ as Aegon’s girlfriend. He felt the fury bubbling up to the surface and he’d rather not embarrass himself further. Once inside their room, he was not proud to have taken advantage of the minibar to give him enough respite.

He thought that sleeping will help temper his mood but he was wrong.

Maybe a run will help clear his head. Yes, that will do.

\--

Summerhall at dawn looked somber with the fog still surrounding the grounds. There was a certain stillness that Gendry found comforting while he made his slow jog to the woody trail past the gardens.

After a few minutes of uphill jogging, Gendry found himself on a clearing with a view of the still asleep castle. He allowed himself a few minutes of rest and closed his eyes as he breathed deeply. He inhaled the crisp air, welcoming the scent of pine, quite different from the salty sea air of Storm’s End.

He turned back, planning to continue his jog, when a sight stopped him from his tracks.

“Gendry?”

Arya was standing before him, clad in a black shirt and running shorts, her shapely legs in view. She was red and sweaty but she still looked ethereal in Gendry’s eyes. He grimaced, trying to suppress the thought.

He acknowledged her with a nod, not trusting his mouth so early in the morning.

He started walking past her until her hand shot out and held his wrist firmly. He felt the familiar jolt and shared a surprised glance with Arya.

“Hey, I want to talk to you.” He felt her grip tighten around his wrist. “I’m sorry about--”

“No need to apologize.” He grunted and pried his hand away from Arya’s hold.

Arya glared at him. “You don’t even know what for!” She crossed her arms across her chest while he raised his eyebrow. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Aegon immediately and I’m sorry if I stopped texting you.”

He faced Arya. “Again, no need to apologize, milady. I’m sure you have your reasons.” He turned away. “If that’s all, I’m gonna go--”

“I saw you on a date, you know. The day we had coffee at Mud Gate.” She mumbled, her shoulders deflated.

Gendry was mortified. _Fuck._ It was one of those matchmaking dates by Hot Pie that spiralled out of control because he was grumpy the whole time.

“I thought, we’re…” Arya shook her head, stopping her thoughts.

He cleared his throat. Maybe he should explain. He sighed. “If you must know, the night ended with squid ink pasta on my face and my shirt.”

Arya blinked in surprise and then guffawed. Gendry can’t help but let out a small smile at her reaction.

“You probably deserved it.” She snorted.

“Yeah, I did.” He shrugged. “Got an earful from Hot Pie after that, telling me it’s gonna be more difficult to get matches now. As if I care.”

Gendry cleared his throat. “So, you and Aegon, huh?”

Arya blushed. “Yeah. Remember that one relationship I was talking about?” He nodded. “That was Aegon. We got matched and had a date when we were in Pentos.”

He grunted. Accepting defeat, he sighed. “He’s good to you, yeah?”

She got redder and smiled softly. “He does his best.”

Arya straightened up and looked up at him, beaming. “I do want us to be friends. You seem like a good guy.”

He snorted. He has been called a lot of names but getting a “good guy” was rare.

“Are you sure your boyfriend won’t mind?”

She tutted. “I don’t really mind his friends so he doesn’t need to mind mine.”

Gendry took a deep breath and then nodded.

“Friends, then.”

Arya clasped his hand and shook it enthusiastically.

“Friends!”

_Just friends. Gods help me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you don't mind the Arya x Aegon here, it is a dating fic after all and I would need other men for Arya, heh. Thoughts? Suggestions?


	6. Beautiful Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unexpected meetings and unforeseen events in the life of Arya Stark.

It was a just a week after Summerhall when Arya and Gendry ran into each other.

Arya was in her usual supermarket in Cobbler’s Square for her weekly grocery run. She was reaching for her a six-pack, a favorite from Braavos, when a familiar voice stopped her.

“May I interest you in trying Baratheon Brew, milady?” Gendry was holding up the said six-pack with a smug smile.

She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms across her chest. “That seems too self-serving, Baratheon.”

“Well, some of us need to make money, milady.” He said teasingly while placing the beer in his cart while Arya still reached for a pack of Braavosi Sweetwater and then got a Baratheon Brew.

“Ah, my poor friend. Hopefully this one adds ten dollars to your bank account.”

He snorted then gestured towards the other item in her cart. “That any good?”

“Yeah, it’s one of the good ones from Essos.” 

Gendry considered for a moment and then finally got a six pack of Sweetwater in his cart. Arya stifled a laugh beside him and then shot her a glare. “It’s for R & D.”

“Whatever.” She shrugged. “So, do you have any plans today?”

They wheeled out their carts from the liquor section and somehow fell into step with each other and continued shopping.

“None, really. Just getting my weekly supply then back home to do laundry.”

“Very exciting. Never thought of you as someone who does the laundry.”

Gendry grimaced. “Not sure if I should be offended, milady. I’d have you know I’m great with chores. How about you, any plans?”

“Not sure, actually. I’m still waiting if Aegon is coming tonight so I can cook dinner for us.”

He tried to stop his scowl from going any further. “So, what does he do anyway?” He settled on raising his eyebrow. “I mean, we’ve been doing business with Rhaegar for TargaryenAir but I understand that’s not all they do.”

“Well, Aegon and Rhaenys are in the hospitality industry -- mostly hotels. Aegon is in charge of Essos, while Rhaenys handles Westeros.”

“And it’s convenient that they have an airline that flies people to their locations, right?”

Arya nodded distractedly while she picked up a couple of boxes of pasta. “Well, business is business.”

They eventually finished with their shopping and were amused at how similar the contents of their cart were. After checking out, Gendry asked if Arya brought her car today.

“Actually, no. I’m gonna take the bus.” She looked at the two bursting shopping bags on the cart and huffed. “I meant, an Uber.”

Gendry sighed. “Let me drive you home then, milady.” He announced as he wheeled both of their carts out to the parking lot, deaf to the sputtering complaints of Arya.

Since it was Saturday, traffic was light and they made good time.

As they approached the Old Gate area, Arya got his attention, finally tired of the silence.

“Hey, thank you for this. Really surprised to know that you also shop there at Cobbler’s Square… what are the odds, right?” She gave a small smile.

He grunted. “They have the widest selection of produce for a supermarket--”

“Yeah, actually! Freshest too!”

“--and they carry our beer.”

Gendry heard Arya mumbled _prick_ and he just smiled smugly, his eyes focused on the road.

They pulled up on the curb of Arya’s apartment building and she commented something that Gendry did not know how to respond to.

“I’m slightly amazed that you still remember where I live.”

He swallowed. “I’m really good with directions.” _Not._ He’s really bad at it.

He tried forgetting any Arya-related information especially when he had a bucket of cold water thrown at him at a week prior but it seems that he still has a long way to go.

It was also a mistake to look back at Arya, with soft eyes despite her raised eyebrow.

“Anyway,” he coughed, “do you need help with your bags?”

She chuckled. “No, I think I can handle it. I’ve been working on my upper body strength and it looks like a good opportunity to test it. Some jerk told me I had shitty arms.”

He snorted, remembering their first date, a _dangerous_ memory. “Good luck on that then.”

“Thanks for the lift, Baratheon! See ya!”

“See you when I see you, milady.”

\--

When Arya arrived in her apartment, grocery bags in tow, her phone dinged with a message.

_Aegon Targaryen: Sorry, love, I don’t think I can make it tonight._

It was followed by a call from Aegon explaining that he had to change his plans for the week since he needed to settle some problems in Lorath and Norvos.

She _understands_ , really _,_ and started preparing dinner for one.

The next day, she received a bouquet of flowers, chocolates, and an elegantly wrapped gift. When she opened the box, her eyes widened in shock when she saw the wrist watch that she was considering back in Braavos.

After taking a couple of deep breaths, she closed the box and went to her closet. She opened an almost full drawer filled with small boxes from luxury brands and placed the box there.

\--

The next time Arya and Gendry saw each other was a late afternoon on a Thursday.

She just finished a dragging meeting at Visenya’s Hill and she was drained. She was trying to book an Uber home but after several unsuccessful attempts, she decided to just take the subway.

When she crossed the street to go to the station, she saw the adjacent sign pointing to Street of Steel. An idea formed in her head at the same time as the growling of her stomach.

She shot a quick text to Gendry.

Arya Stark: _Hey, Baratheon. Are you in KL right now? At the shop?_

She waited for less than a minute for a reply. _That was quick._

Gendry Baratheon: _Yes, I’m at the shop. What’s up?_

Arya Stark: _I’m walking down at Street of Steel now. Wanna grab a bite?_

Gendry Baratheon: _Sure. You can’t miss our shop. I’ll meet you at the reception._

Arya Stark: _K. See ya!_

Arya walked three more blocks until she saw it and her mouth dropped in awe. Renly’s Customs Shop had a window display showing three vintage cars resting on platforms with studio lights around them -- definitely hard to miss.

“Wanna buy something, milady?”

She heard Gendry’s voice a fair distance away. He was standing on the other corner of the shop, holding open the glass door and gesturing her inside. 

She snorted as she walked towards the Gendry and entered the building.

“To what do I owe the honor of your company for today, milady?”

They were in a well-lit reception area, the car display outside just separated by glass.

“I just finished a meeting at Visensya’s Hill and I just noticed that Street of Steel is quite near so I decided to drop by.”

Gendry nodded, accepting her reply, then cleared his throat. “Welcome to our shop.” He announced nonchalantly. “I’ll just get my stuff in my office. You can wait here if you want.”

Arya shook her head. Something about Gendry made her curious and she would very much enjoy a peek into his workplace. “I’m coming with you.”

She trailed after Gendry as they went behind the reception and entered an open office area. There were several tables and the workers still present gave them inquisitive looks as they passed by. Gendry opened a heavy door past the offices and suddenly, there was a barrage of whirring noises and paint fumes. They found themselves in a garage where Arya saw at least four disfigured cars hoisted up, several shelves full of boxes and tire racks along the wall, and somewhere on the far end was an enclosed room where someone was spray-painting.

“So, that is where the magic happens.” Gendry said, referring to the garage, while he was already halfway up the concrete stairs.

Arya nodded, smiling, and followed Gendry up the stairs. He opened the first door on the second floor and Arya whistled when they entered a well-designed office. There was an inviting yellow couch by the wall, a coffee table with some housekeeping magazines, a wide office table with a well-cushioned high-backed chair, and a sleek-looking bookself bolted to the wall.

“Before you ask, it was Renly’s office first.” Gendry supplied while closing his backpack and swinging it on his back.

She laughed. “Yeah, I never pegged you as a yellow couch kind of guy, you know?”

“Piss off.” He muttered, walking out of the office, and turning off the lights.”Let’s go. I’m starving.”

They walked to a small deli nearby which was frequented by Gendry. She got a Reuben while Gendry got a pastrami, both with sides and drinks. They found a free table by the window and settled there.

They quietly tucked in their food with the hum of the busy deli as a comfortable background noise while they shot quick glances at each other, as if sharing a conversation.

They finished their food almost at the same time, capping it of by sipping on their drinks.

Arya had a pleased grin as she sat back on her chair. “Damn, that was good.”

Gendry can’t help but give a small smile back. “One of the best in the neighborhood.”

She sighed while looking lovingly at the counter with the bread and meat display. “I would kill to have this deli near my place or my work.”

“Sorry, but I’d need to fight you on this one, milady.” Gendry remarked.

“It’s all posh restaurants there, all high up at the Red Keep.”

He snorted. “Maybe you should go down to Flea Bottom, then. Lots of interesting restaurants there.”

Her eye sparkled with the idea and Gendry’s brows furrowed, remembering she hasn’t been there before.

“That’s actually a good idea!--”

Her phone rang and Gendry can see that it was Aegon calling. Before Arya can ask, he nodded in assent and directed his head towards the window… but his eyes remained on Arya.

“Hey, what’s up?” A long pause. “That’s great to hear!” A soft smile, a nod. “Yeah, see you in a bit.”

Arya dropped the call and cleared her throat. “So, yeah, that was Aegon. He just landed from Pentos. Well, we -- I need to go. How about you?”

“Yeah, I’d best be going home too.”

They stood up and left the deli, retracing their steps through the Street of Steel. Arya tried her luck on Uber again but as they approached Gendry’s shop, she felt that the subway _is_ still the way to go after several rejected bookings. She groaned.

“Stop that.” She heard the growl coming from Gendry, his eyes narrowed at her. “I’ll drive you home.”

Before Arya can stutter a reply. Gendry held up his hand to her face, rolling his eyes. “No, it’s no problem. Feel free to give me gas money, if you feel guilty.”

And that’s how Arya found herself in the passenger seat of Gendry’s Jeep for the third time.

\--

When Arya arrived in her apartment, she immediately set to work and started on dinner. Grilled chicken breasts and a simple salad, something quick and light as she was still full from her sandwich from the deli. After preparing that, she saw that she still had time to clean up so she hopped on the shower.

She was in the middle of drying her hair when she heard the buzz of her doorbell and rushed to the door, Nymeria on her heels. She opened the door and was greeted by a bouquet of flowers and a smiling Aegon behind it.

“Hi, love!” They shared a quick kiss and as Aegon entered inside, Nymeria growled.

With a raised brow, Arya tried to pacify Nymeria by rubbing her face. “What’s up, Nym? You don’t remember Aegon?”

Aegon slowly put out his hand forward for Nymeria to smell only for the dog to bare her fangs and snarl deeper. “Oh no you don’t, Nymeria!” She turned to Aegon. “Can you wait outside first? I’ll just put her on the guest room.”

She heard a whispered _okay_ from Aegon followed by the front door opening and closing. Immediately, Nymeria calmed down and looked at up at her. “What’s wrong, girl?”

Nymeria whined, as if answering her question then nuzzled her cheek while Arya continued rubbing her head. “Come on, let’s get you sorted.”

After successfully placing Nymeria at the guest room and setting her doggie bed and pee pad there, she went back and reopened the door for Aegon.

“Coast clear?”

“Yeah. Sorry about Nymeria. She’s acting weird.” She bit her lip.

“It’s fine, love.” Aegon wrapped his arms around Arya and rested his head on her shoulders. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Arya laughed softly as Aegon further nuzzled into her neck. “How was your week? I barely heard from you.”

The relationship with Aegon started quickly since they already had a history, but Arya realized it’s going to be more difficult than their first one since they were based on two different continents with different timezones. It was Arya’s first dip into long distance relationships but despite the technology available, she felt that that there was _something_ still lacking.

“Ah, the usual. Meetings, papers, all day.” He mumbled into the corner of her jaw, punctuating each word with a soft kiss.

Arya sighed, not really sure if from defeat or from pleasure. “I made dinner. Are you hungry?”

The glint in Aegon’s eye told her he was hungry, but not for food.

\--

The next time Arya and Gendry bumped into each other was at at a restaurant in Rhaenys’ Hill and she was with Aegon and he was with Renly and Loras.

Arya and Aegon were being directed to their table when Aegon heard a familiar laugh. He followed the sound, pulling Arya with him, and they found Renly, Loras, and Gendry. After the initial commotion filled with greetings and tittering (mostly from Renly and Loras), the host decided to seat them together on a bigger round table.

Renly was seated beside Loras, Loras beside Gendry, Gendry beside Arya, Arya beside Aegon, and finally Aegon beside Renly.

Aegon was enjoying his seat beside Renly since they started discussing Stormland matters immediately while Loras gushed upon seeing Arya despite the hulking form of Gendry in between them. Gendry offered to move but Loras ignored him, still choosing to be beside Renly.

“Arya, I haven’t seen you since Sansa’s party in Highgarden!” Loras wailed. “Come, let’s take a photo so I can update your sister!” Loras whipped out his phone and took a selfie with Arya and Gendry first until Renly noticed what they were doing and demanded to be included as well. Loras took several photos of five of them together and a couple more of him and Arya, angling his phone so Gendry was out of frame.

“I don’t understand your aversion to photos, Gen.” Loras lamented, checking the photos. “You’re very handsome, anyway.”

Gendry grumbled at Loras while Arya chuckled until her phone dinged continuously with messages.

Sansa Stark: _OMG ARYA!_

Sansa Stark: _ARE YOU DATING RENLY’S HOT NEPHEW?!_

Sansa Stark: _HONESTLY. GOOD JOB!_

Sansa Stark: _IS THIS A RESULT OF THE MATCHMAKING? WOW!_

Sansa Stark: _WHY IS AEGON TARGARYEN THERE?_

Sansa Stark: _ARYA_

Sansa Stark: _Loras just told me you’re having dinner so please call me when you get home and fill me in on the details!_

Sansa Stark: _Enjoy your dinner! Love you! x_

“Gods, Loras, what did you do?” Arya deflated on her chair.

Loras raised his eyebrow. “I just sent our photos to Sansa. She misses you, you know.” He giggled. “You ought to visit Highgarden with me next time! So many new things!”

She rolled her eyes. “I wish! But there’s so much on my plate right now.”

“Sure, you do.” Tipping his head towards Aegon. “I’m surprised he hasn’t kidnapped you yet and chained you to his side.”

Arya almost spat out her wine while Gendry’s brows furrowed. “I’d rather not be tied down right now.”

Loras laughed. “Ahh, but all the places you can go! Though I remember you telling me that you went backpacking across Essos before, am I right?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “One of the best years of my life!”

“Shame, you only posted a few photos from your trips.” He shrugged. “Would have been interesting to see everything.”

“I was travelling light and most of the activities I did required my phone to be kept safely in my bag.”

“Well, atleast you have photos!” He sighed, suddenly turning his head to Gendry, and frowning. “Unlike Gendry here who seems allergic to cameras and social media.” 

“Why am I suddenly the topic of this conversation?” Gendry muttered.

“Why do you not have social media?” He tutted. “If you have one, then the ladies would definitely be piling up instead of giving us a headache!”

Gendry became flustered while Arya just smirked beside him.

“Look, Arya.” Loras gestured to Gendry’s face. “He’s handsome, right?”

Arya was surprised by his question and suddenly felt the warmth creeping at the back of her neck. _Yes, of course, he is._ She nodded and she saw Gendry’s face grow redder.

Loras started, “Very handsome--”

“--but grumpy!”, Renly chimed in.

Aegon chuckled softly from the banter and leaned closer to a smirking Arya.

While Gendry was busy scowling at Loras and Renly, the waitstaff came in and served their food. The conversation became milder by then until they almost finished their meal.

Renly spoke out while they were finishing their wine bottle. “Since you two are here,” gesturing to Arya and Aegon, “I’d like to invite you two to one of our charity’s fundraising event next month at the Red Keep.”

Aegon immediately whipped out his phone and checked his calendar, Arya doing the same but quickly nodding when she saw her free schedule. She looked at Aegon, quirking her eyebrow in question.

“Well, it’s going to be tight but I think I can make it.” Aegon grinned at both Arya and Renly.

“That’s lovely! By the way, it’s like a sports fest so dress make sure you dress appropriately.” Renly announced.

“What are the events?” Arya perked up. She was the sporty one in the family and it’s probably the reason why she had the competitive streak.

“As of now, just relays, maybe water polo?” Loras supplied. “We still have to finalize everything with the organizers but we’ll probably email and send out invites by tomorrow.”

Eventually, there was a lull from their conversation and they decided to call it a night, promising to update each other regarding their plans.

\--

It was the next day while she was preparing her breakfast when her phone rang, indicating Sansa requesting a facetime call. She groaned but accepted the call anyway.

“Hey, Sans.”

“Why haven’t you answered my texts?”

Arya rolled her eyes. Give it to Sansa to be straight to the point.

“Come on, little sister. Spill the tea!”

“To answer your question, no, I’m not dating Renly’s hot nephew.” She sighed. “I’m dating Aegon Targ--”

“What!” Sansa’s blue eyes widened in shock while Arya tried not to laugh at how comical she looked.

“What do you mean you’re dating Aegon Targaryen?” Sansa’s brow quirked.

“What do you mean?” Arya was confused. “We started dating when I was doing business in Pentos.”

“I just thought he’s seeing someone else…but that was months ago.” Sansa’s eyes wandered a bit until it refocused on her. “Were you matched from the club?”

“Yeah, um, we got matched. Apparently, we knew each other from before and that’s that.”

Sansa nodded on the screen. Arya felt that her sister knew more and she had to dig a bit deeper. “What do _you_ know of Aegon?”

Her sister bit her lip. “Do you remember that trip at Lys that Margaery and I went to?”

Arya nodded, frowning. That trip was just two months ago.

“We saw Aegon while we were out. He was with someone.” Sansa’s face hardened. “They were pretty intimate for Sunday brunch. Marg even said he was the biggest playboy in Essos _and_ Westeros.”

Arya scowled, her heartbeat racing.

Sansa cleared her throat, trying to smile. “But that was months ago, maybe he’s doing better now, especially being in the club and--”

“Sans, I think I need to go.”

\--

As soon as Sansa blurted out the details, she felt like she was punched in the gut.

From there, it was easy to connect the dots: the increasing number of cancelled plans, the extravagant gifts, and even Nymeria’s change of heart towards him. She also figured out what was lacking in their relationship -- communication. Instead of talking about their feelings, Aegon would rather tumble in the sheets with her, effectively shutting her up in the process. Looking back, Arya can count in one hand the number of times they had meaningful conversations, and for her, that’s unacceptable for the duration of their relationship.

She can be _fucking_ stupid sometimes, especially when her body responds faster than her brain.

Her heart started thudding rapidly, the feeling becoming stronger as she remembered Aegon dropping her off at her apartment after their dinner and preferring to go back at his flat as he had some teleconferences to attend to with Essosi clients. She genuinely hoped he was doing business but her insides felt otherwise.

Arya sped through King’s Landing, her grip on the steering wheel tight as if it would help her world from teetering. She can feel the tears coming but she braced herself when she saw Aegon’s apartment building in her view.

_Breathe in, breathe out._

_Breathe in, breathe out._

She felt a certain sense of calm flooding her senses as she exited her car, as she entered the building, as she rode the elevator to the topmost floor. She took a deep breath as she racked her brain for the code for the electronic door. She exhaled audibly as she heard the distinct whir from the locking mechanism. 

She opened the front door and went inside. Her eyes had to adjust to the dim living room, the blackout curtains not yet drawn. Everything seems untouched and still at this hour, until her eyes wandered to the small kitchen and found two unfinished glasses of wine. _Inhale, exhale._ She walked further and almost tripped on a pair of red heels. _Inhale, exhale._ Much further and she saw a flimsy black garment on the floor. _Inhale, exhale._ And then, she heard panting _and_ moaning. _Fuck._

Arya was not surprised when she opened Aegon’s bedroom door to find him in bed with someone else.

\--

“Arya, wait!!!”

Arya walked furiously, out of Aegon’s apartment and straight to the elevators. She got pulled back with a strong tug and went face to face with Aegon, her eyes blazing.

“Don’t fucking touch me.”

Aegon released his grip and ran his hand through his face. “Look, it’s not what it looks like--”

“I know what it _fucking_ looks like, Aegon.”

“I’m sorry! It was a mistake.” He held both of Arya’s wrist. “Please, Arya.”

Her eyes narrowed as she tugged her hands away but was unsuccessful. “Tell me, am I your girlfriend or am I just one of your girls in rotation?”

She can see Aegon’s face visibly lose color as his lips draw into a thin line. “Arya, it’s not--”

“I think we are done here, Aegon.” She pulled her hands away and turned her back away from him.

When she exited the apartment building, she let out a huge breath she was holding.

She looked up. The sun shone brightly and the slight breeze was comforting against her heated face.

It was too beautiful of a day to have her heart break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I did not expect that kind of feedback from the previous chapter and I had to dial back and review my outline. Unfortunately, some elements are really needed to make my plot work and I just had to include them even if it had to be taken with a grain of salt. The characters may be OOC and quite frankly, that's my fault since I was not able to focus that much on the development and went straight to the action. LOL. But still, I am grateful to you readers for giving attention, kudos, and feedback to my work. Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy the next (hopefully, happier) chapters!


	7. Partners in Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya gains a new friend and goes on a date.

Arya lived through the following days in autopilot and she was thankful that she has her morning routine down pat.

When she arrived at the office lacking the usual spring in her steps, her workmates noticed and hounded her incessantly until she told them what happened. When they heard everything, they immediately scheduled drinks after work and Brienne even recommended that she take a sick day. She refused Brienne’s offer as her current office work was quite monotonous and can distract her for the most part of the day. She did enjoy their trip to the bar, the company of her colleagues were comforting especially when she ugly cried her way through the night.

Aegon did drop by her apartment in the middle of the week, hoping to talk things through but she dismissed him after giving him a box full of his gifts that she never used. He looked offended when he saw the contents of the box, but she didn’t care and never cared for the extravagant but _mindless_ gifts. At least, that was out of the way.

Sansa, on the other hand, contacted her persistently until she relented and shared what happened. Being the perfect sister she is, she sent in chocolates and cakes to her apartment almost daily to lift her mood and called in from time to time to see how she was holding up.

She was on the fourteenth day of her limbo when she got a call from Jeyne. She groaned too loudly that Nymeria perked up from her position on her lap and then nuzzled deeper on her waist.

Jeyne has been calling her since last week and their shared calendar kept refreshing with a date schedule for a new match. She kept deleting the calendar entry but it was followed by a call from Jeyne which she cancels. She was just tired of it all and was feeling a bit petty tonight that she thought she should give Jeyne a piece of her mind. She took a deep breath and accepted the call.

“Hey, Arya. How are you?”

“Oh, you know, feeling like sunshine and daisies as if a truck went over my heart and body repeatedly. I’m over the moon, Jeyne.”

Jeyne chuckled from the other side. Arya appreciated that she can recognize the sarcasm and afforded herself rueful laugh.

“I’m really sorry it didn’t work out with Mr. Targaryen.”

“Yeah, it’s okay, Jeyne. Shit happens, right?” Arya sighed. She’s unsure if the club or their respective liaisons are fully aware regarding their affairs but she supposes that they have their own little birds in the grapevine. “Still, I don’t get why you have to be persistent in getting me a date just a few days after a break-up!”

There was a slight pause from Jeyne. “Sorry, Arya. It’s one of our rules since we’d like to secure a match as soon as possible.” She sighed. “I know it seems insensitive but based from our track record, the sooner and the more you date the prospective matches, the sooner you can settle for a perfect match.”

Arya mumbled. “That’s just fucked up.”

“I’m really sorry, Arya.” Jeyne sighed. “The reason I called is to actually beg you to go to this date. So, please, please, please.”

Arya groaned. “Tell me honestly why I need to go to this date?”

“Well, it’s the last of the best matches I have for you. And if you do this, I’ll be out of your hair for a while. And the guy is basically a saint. You might have a good time.”

Arya’s breath hitched. Jeyne’s offer is _too good_ to pass up.

“Besides, Arya, it’s just a first date. You don’t need to dive in a relationship immediately.”

There was a pause in their conversation as Arya considered how much Jeyne’s words rang true. Maybe she can do friendship first this time around. And if she goes through with it, Jeyne will stop pestering her… which is a sweet deal in itself. It’s a win-win situation for both of them. 

“So , what do you think? Should I set it up?”

“Sure.”

“Brilliant. I’ll send you the details in a bit. Thank you, Arya!”

****7** ** ****:** ** ****0** ** ****0PM** ** ****(Thursday)** **

_Dinner at_ _The Crabapple_

 _With_ _Edric Dayne of Starfall_

_(Appointment done by Jeyne Heddle, WRC)_

\--

She arrived at The Crabapple just five minutes shy of the meeting time. She let out a relieved sigh when she realized that it was just a casual restaurant and that her work clothes will work fine for this date. She didn’t have enough time to go back home to change since she got held up in a meeting at work and decided to just go straight to the restaurant instead of being late.

When she arrived and was led to their table, she was suprised to be the first one there. While waiting, she checked herself in her pocket mirror and reapplied her lipstick just to look more presentable.

It was already past 7 PM and she just finished her second breadstick and currently nursing her beer when she heard shuffling at her side that made her look -- she saw a purple cable knit sweater first, then the collar of a white button up underneath, then a blinding grin, a freckled nose, then dark blue eyes looking back at her sheepishly. He has a perfectly combed blonde hair too.

“Hey, I know I’m late, I’m really sorry!” The guy chuckled. “I’m Edric Dayne, by the way.”

He held out his hand to Arya and she stood up to shake his hand. She let out a small smile as she felt the warmth from their joined hands. “Arya Stark. Nice meeting you.”

“The pleasure is mine, my lady.” He gestured for the two of them to be seated and settled across from each other.

She grimaced, also remembering Gendry’s name-calling. “Don’t call me that. Arya is fine.”

“Oh, Arya then.” He cracked a shy smile. “You may call me Ned.”

Arya’s eyes widened a bit. “My dad is also called Ned.” She bit her lip. “This is going to be weird.”

Ned chuckled, his soft gaze directed at her. “You may call me whatever is comfortable for you, Arya.”

In the end, Arya eventually settled on calling him Ned.

Ned, who apologized profusely throughout their dinner for his tardiness, who she learned was currently working on his medical residency at King’s Landing Hospital and just had a window of free time to go on their date.

After the initial introductions, they eventually discussed the pains of being part of the Noble Houses and the expectations with being heirs in line. Ned also shared that his path to being a doctor was a sensitive topic within his family who was deeply embedded on Dornish politics, that’s why he preferred studying and training away from the South. Over time, his family did understand his choices and they settled into a compromise. When he finishes his medical training, he will come back to Dorne to get married and have children, and most importantly, become the head of House Dayne as he is the only male heir of the principal family. The compromise brought in the services of the Westerosi Royals Club to basically find him wife to bring home to Dorne and live their lives there.

Arya commented that it was a very patriarchal move and Ned steadfastly agreed, but they both knew that the Noble Houses were rooted in tradition that was difficult to crack. She understood Ned’s decision since she also chose Braavos to experience a different life from the North. Eventually, she did come back to Westeros, still away from the Northern politics, and tried living her life in her own terms. Maybe it was the privilege of being a third child or maybe it was her parent’s forebearing, or both, but her life seemed better for it. Ned’s life is hanging by a compromise but he seemed at peace with it and Arya respected that.

They talked more about mundane things but in the end, they settled as being friends since Ned professed he was not looking into a relationship due to his messy schedule in the hospital and Arya agreed, sharing a short version of the break-up fiasco in doing so.

They both confirmed that there was no _spark_ between them and snickered at how they sounded too miserable at their confession.

“As they say, birds of the same feather flock together.” Ned declared in an easy manner and clinked his beer bottle to Arya.

“Cheers to that!”

Their night was eventually cut short when Ned got a call from the hospital, asking him to come in. They reluctantly left the restaurant, giving each other a big hug and promising each other to be in touch as they went into their separate ways.

Overall, Arya did have a good time, as Jeyne promised, and gained a new friend in the process.

\--

“You look rough.”

It was Saturday morning and she was at the supermarket in Cobbler’s Square. She was standing in front of the ice cream freezer, considering if she should get another pint of chocolate chip ice cream or try the new strawberry banana flavor, until she heard the familiar voice taunting her.

“Top of the morning to you too, Baratheon.”

She narrowed her eyes at Gendry who looked really good with his windswept black hair and his gray sweater and distressed jeans fitting him perfectly. _How the hell can someone look so fresh at this hour?_

She supposes she did look rough compared to him, with her clad in yoga pants and a faded black Winterfell Wolves hoodie, her hair in a messy bun. She swears that the cool lighting from the ice cream freezer is not helping in any way to flatter her bare face and dark eyebags.

“I heard what happened.” He said tentatively. “Are you okay?”

She groaned audibly. She wishes that her sister kept her mouth shut on certain matters. She must have voiced it out when she heard Gendry say that it was actually from Loras.

“That guy cancelled on the charity event and Loras called him to verify. He simply said you guys split up and it would be awkward if he pushed through with the invitation.” Gendry’s brow furrowed while he explained, genuinely avoiding blurting out Aegon’s name.

She nodded. “Yeah, I think I’m doing… okay.”

Gendry moved his gaze to her cart and back to her, still holding the two different pints of ice cream. Sure, she might have shopped a bit more chips and beer than usual, and she already has three pints of ice cream there, but she has her _reasons_.

“Sure you do.”

She grimaced and then added the two new pints on her cart. She wheeled her cart towards the checkout and Gendry followed.

After paying for their groceries, Gendry asked if she needed a ride today but she told him that she brought her car. She felt a blush coming when she noticed Gendry’s crestfallen face at her reply. He eventually turned away, and asked her where she was parked and started pushing their shared cart towards that direction.

When he stopped in front her red Tesla, he raised his brow and motioned for her to open the boot. He carefully placed her shopping bags inside the trunk despite her mumbling and when he was done, he closed it slowly.

“You didn’t need to do that.” Arya was trying so hard to not blush and to maintain a poker face.

Gendry cleared his throat, his cheeks starting to flush. “I wanted to do it.”

They stared at each other for a while until Arya cracked and gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He grinned back, the flush becoming deeper. “Um, so…” He looked away, scratching the back of his head. “I know it’s kind of sudden… but The Brotherhood is having a gig later tonight and, um, do you want to go?”

Arya chuckled at Gendry’s effort. They did talk about being fans of The Brotherhood during their first date. The Brotherhood Without Banners is an indie rock band from the Riverlands and Gendry saw them play as a freshman in Riverrun. He even became friends with them during his third year when he got accidentally involved in a fist fight in one of their gigs. In Arya’s case, she saw them for the first time on a music festival back in Braavos and has been a fan ever since.

“Sure, I’ll be there.”

Gendry let out a relieved sigh and gave her a big smile. “The gig is gonna be at The Kneeling Man, starts at 9 PM. Do I pick you up or are you going to bring your car?”

The Kneeling Man is just a few blocks away from her apartment and can be walked for fifteen minutes. “I think I’m gonna walk. It’s quite near my place, you know?”

“Oh, that’s good. I’m not planning to bring a car either.” He let out a small laugh. “If I learned anything with all The Brotherhood gigs I went to, I’m gonna be shitfaced drunk by the time they sing Lord of Light.”

The Brotherhood is known for their hits like Fire and Blood, You Win or You Die, and The Long Night but they always end with the Lord of Light -- a rock song paying homage to their shared religion, which Arya thought was blasphemous at best. She laughed at the thought, chiming in with Gendry.

“Ahh, I’m excited! It’s been a long time since I saw them live.” She quirked her brow. “Though, I’m pretty sure I went home on all counts clearheaded.”

Gendry smirked. “Well, there’s always a first time, milady.”

“Well, I’ll see you then, Baratheon!”

“Yes. We don’t want to keep your ice cream waiting.”

Like a mature individual, she stuck out her tongue at Gendry and bade goodbye.

\--

As soon as Arya arrived in her apartment, she whipped out her phone and called Sansa. After just one ring, her sister’s worried voice flooded through the speakers.

“Hey Arya, what’s wrong?”

“Hey Sans! Everything’s fine, actually.” Arya swallowed. “I need your input.”

“How can I help?”

“Remember, and I quote you here, _Renly’s hot nephew_? Well, that’s Gendry and he was actually the very first match and date I had with the club.”

“What?!” Sansa’s shrill voice always made Arya roll her eyes. “Oh my God, Arya! You don’t keep this kind of information from me!” Sansa huffed at the other end.

“Well, sorry. It’s not exactly a priority!” She muttered. “Anyway, so Gendry, right? We bumped into each other today at the supermarket andhekindaaskedmeouttonight--”

“Arya, speak clearly, please.”

“He asked me out -- well, I’m not really sure -- but there’s this gig of the band that we like and he invited me to go. Tonight.” She let out a long sigh. “So… is that a date or what?”

“Do you want it to be a date?”

“A big part of me says yes. But a small part of me still wants to take things slow, you know.”

“Do you like this guy?”

She chewed her bottom lip. She definitely felt different whenever she is in Gendry’s company, distinct from Aegon’s amorous ways and from Ned’s easy friendship. For the lack of a better term, yes, she likes Gendry.

“Yes, I think I like him.”

“And do you think he likes you back?”

“I’m not sure, Sans.” She recalled their first date, their unexpected meetings, and the endearing way he asked her in the parking lot earlier. “I think he does but he might be only seeing me as a friend.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I did ask him to be my friend when Aegon and I were dating.” She grimaced at the memory.

There was a pause before she heard a sigh from Sansa.

“Well, you’re single now. And if you really like him, I think you should put yourself out there. Be more than friends.”

“You know, Gendry said that I looked rough today.” Arya chuckled.

“That’s stupid.” Sansa groaned. “Well, you know what to do. Show him all you’ve got then.”

\--

Gendry Baratheon: _BWB set starts at 9PM. See you in a bit._

Arya smirked at the message. It was thirty minutes before 9 PM and she was doing a final check with her full body mirror. She wore a black lacy bustier top, ripped faded jeans, and her chunky heeled Chelsea boots. She opted to let her hair down, her curls behaving nicely after applying that hair serum that Sansa gifted her months ago. She applied light makeup and topped it off with a dark red lip.

She looks _damn_ fine.

And she felt that its going to be a _damn_ good night.

\--

When Arya arrived at The Kneeling Man, it was packed and she was grateful that she forgone a jacket. The opening band was still playing and a lot of people were crowding the middle of the floor, dancing to the song.

She decided to hang out in the bar while she shot a quick text to Gendry to tell him that she already arrived. While waiting, she ordered herself a beer and moaned in relief on the first gulp of liquid. She didn’t even realize she was parched from walking all the way here.

“Hey there, milady.”

She glanced at the source of the voice and saw Gendry, impossibly handsome in his dark gray shirt and navy jacket and as usual, she cannot stop her mouth from working. “You look good.”

Gendry ran his hand through his hair, obviously flustered, but he did give her a once over and blurted out a soft _you too_ that made Arya warm, and it was definitely not because of the beer.

“Did you have dinner already?” He asked, trying to deflect the conversation.

She nodded. “Yeah, I had a heavy dinner. Figured if I’m gonna be shitfaced tonight with BWB, it should be with a full stomach.”

Gendry let out a laugh. “Damn. I’d drink to that but…” He gestured to his empty beerless hands.

“Well, we should change that.”

Arya called the attention of the bartender and ordered two beers, the first one for Gendry and the second for her. When they got their bottles, they clinked it together with accompanying “Cheers!” expressed in unison.

When they saw The Brotherhood coming on stage and heard the warm-up riffs, Gendry took Arya’s hand and led them into the crowd. And Arya can’t stop her face from breaking into a smile.

\--

If Arya thought that The Kneeling Man was packed earlier, she was definitely wrong. When The Brotherhood started their set, more people rushed in and crowd became bigger. It was a tight space but Gendry and Arya were happy just nodding off and singing along to the music.

The band was starting on their third song, when Arya felt the call of nature. She tugged on Gendry’s jacket and when she got his attention, she mouthed that she needed to go to the ladies room. Gendry nodded and followed her, telling her that he will get them fresh bottles of beer.

\--

Arya was walking towards the bar, after her trip from the ladies room, when she accidentally bumped on someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry--”

“Arya?”

“Ned!”

They smiled at each other and shared a quick hug.

“What are you doing here?” Arya asked.

“For The Brotherhood, of course.” Ned answered. “And you? Same reasons, I assume?”

Arya nodded enthusiastically. “Of course. I’m a woman with great taste after all.”

“Touché. Are you with friends?”

Arya’s eyes widened as she remembered her companion. “I am, actually. With him.” Arya gestured over at the bar, pointing to the only black-haired guy standing there.

Ned squinted and blinked rapidly when he recognized the man. “Wait. That’s Gendry Baratheon, right?”

At that, Arya quirked her brow. “You know Gendry?”

Ned chuckled. “Yes. We’re both members of the Riverrun Crew back at uni. A man of few words but he was a team player.”

She guffawed at the coincidence until she stopped when she saw Ned’s amused glint. “What?”

“Are you on a date with _the_ Gendry Baratheon?”

She blushed and sputtered.

“You wound me, my lady. Already replacing me in a short period of time.” Ned wailed jokingly and they both giggled at the silliness of it.

“I hope it’s a date. He did invite me to this gig.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if you must know, we also got matched by the club, months ago. But that didn’t work out and then _things_ happened, and now we are here.” She sighed. “He didn’t exactly say it’s a date but… well, we’re _friends_.”

Ned nodded, understanding her vague explanation. “It’s settled then. I will be your wingman for tonight.”

“What?” Her eyes widened in shock, her cheeks aflame.

“Trust me, Arya.” Ned smiled slyly.

And Arya can’t help but agree to his crazy plan.

\--

Arya and Ned walked to the bar and immediately saw Gendry’s scowl as they approached.

“Gendry, it’s nice to see you here!” Ned greeted cheerfully.

“Ned Dayne.” He nodded as his eyes narrowed then looked at Arya and raised his brow in question.

“Ned and I were acquainted. Family friends.” Arya answered, smiling at Ned.

“So, how are you, man? It’s been a long time.” Ned asked as he gave a firm pat on Gendry’s shoulders.

“Everything’s fine.” Gendry grunted, then he downed his beer to avoid conversation.

“Friendly as ever, I see.” With that, Ned clinked his beer bottle with Arya.

“I can’t believe he is still this grouchy even in the presence of a beautiful lady as yourself, Arya.”

Arya blushed and stammered. “He’s not that bad.” She then directed a small smile to Gendry.

Gendry scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment as he broke into a slight smirk.

“You’re not too bad yourself, milady.”

\--

After getting another round of beer for themselves, Ned forced them to go back into the crowd and enjoy the rest of the night.

While in the middle of a boppy song, Ned put his arms around Arya’s shoulder and danced them away from Gendry. When they were at a considerable distance, he whispered on her ear. “I don’t think you need a wingman, Arya. He really likes you.”

Arya chuckled “How can you be so sure?”

“He’s been looking at you every thirty seconds. And glares at me after that. Look--”

Ned grasped Arya’s chin and directed her face toward’s Gendry’s direction. True enough, they caught Gendry squinting at them and then looking away quickly, focusing back to the band.

“You got him whipped.” Ned laughed. “Tell you what, I’m gonna get another round of drinks and your job will be to cozy up to that man.”

It was a job that Arya was willing to handle, very much so.

\--

When Arya arrived back within Gendry’s place in the crowd, The Brotherhood switched their riffs to something mellower, the starting melody for My Featherbed, a short but sweet love song.

_My featherbed is deep and soft,_ _  
__and there I'll lay you down,_

“Welcome back, milady. Did you enjoy your time with Dayne?” He quirked his brow, lips in a tight line.

“Idiot.” She nudged him with her elbow, earning a grunt from Gendry.

_I'll dress you all in yellow silk,_ _  
__and on your head a crown._

They were humming along until they noticed that the people around them partnered up and started slow dancing.

 _Fuck._ Arya forgot that this was a BWB “tradition” whenever they play My Featherbed. Ned totally knew what he was doing and she was glad for it.

She looked up and found Gendry staring back. He cleared his throat and asked her shyly.

“May I have this dance, milady?”

She gave him a big smile and ran her hands on his chest, reaching up until she locked her hands behind his neck.

_For you shall be my lady love,_ _  
__and I shall be your lord._

He let out a relieved chuckle as he rested his hands on both sides of Arya’s hips.

“You can do better than that, Baratheon.”

With that, Gendry moved his hands towards Arya’s back, completely enclosing her in a hug, as they swayed slowly to the music.

 _  
__I'll always keep you warm and safe,_ _  
__and guard you with my sword._

 _And how she smiled and how she laughed,_ _  
__the maiden of the tree._ _  
__She spun away and said to him,_ _  
__no featherbed for me._ _  
__I'll wear a gown of golden leaves,_ _  
__and bind my hair with grass,_ _  
__But you can be my forest love,_ _  
__and me your forest lass._

When the song ended, they reluctantly disentangled from each other, their faces both flushed and soft. And as if on cue, Ned arrived with their beer, winking at Arya and smirking at Gendry.

Ned felt Gendry’s glare coming, instead, the taller man blushed a deeper red. When he checked the reason why, Arya’s other arm was snug around Gendry’s waist, giving him a half-hug.

\--

As the night wore on and as the beer kept flowing (courtesy of Ned being their runner), the three of them genuinely had fun, nodding and awkwardly dancing off to the songs.

And true enough, by the time the starting melody of Lord of Light came on, Gendry was already laughing loudly and screaming the opening lyrics, his arm around Arya’s shoulder. Apparently, a drunk Gendry is a carefree Gendry. And an equally inebriated Arya and Ned can’t help but laugh and go along his antics.

\--

It was before midnight when The Brotherhood’s set ended and they were planning to meet with the band to catch up. They eventually decided against it when they saw the crowd descending forward and flocking around the members. It will take an hour to reach them and frankly, the three of them were already feeling the exhaustion from standing up the whole night.

They exited the bar and Arya let out a deep inhale. “Oh my Gods, fresh air!”

Ned chuckled with her as he turned his attention to Gendry, who was looking softly at Arya. It’s not too late to push them on the right direction. He cleared his throat.

“Anyway, Arya, Gendry, it has been a wonderful night with the both of you but, duty calls!” He said waving his phone.

Arya narrowed her eyes at him. “You said you’re off duty--”

“I just got message and I need to be in the hospital ASAP.”

“You’re drunk, Ned.” Gendry commented with a tinge of concern.

“No, I’m not.” Ned stood up straighter and shot a meaningful look at Arya. After a few seconds, her eyes widened in understanding and smirked.

“Okay, then. Thanks for hanging out with us, Ned.” Arya leaned in forward and gave him a big hug.

He whispered to his ear, teasingly. “Ball’s in your court now, darling.” He then winked at Arya, then grinned at her flustered face.

Ned then turned to Gendry, frowning now as he saw the exchange. “Gendry, it was nice seeing you again.” He tugged Gendry for a half-hug and was pleasantly surprised when he returned it.

“Great. I hope we can all hang out soon!”

Ned’s phone pinged and he checked it. “Well, my Uber is here.” He smiled at the couple. “Gendry, take care of Arya, yeah?”

“Of course.” Gendry promised and even gave him a small smile.

Ned was already walking towards the curb when he turned back, a devious glint in his eyes.

“Oh and Gendry, Arya, do something I wouldn’t do, yeah?” He winked at them and laughed at their beet-red faces.

Arya eventually cracked and snickered at Ned’s comment and looked at a still flushed Gendry.

“Should we head home now then?” She looked up, eyes expectant and shining towards an amused-looking Gendry.

He nodded. “Sure, let me just get an Uber--”

“No, let’s walk.” Arya intertwined her hands with Gendry and she felt the warmth seeping through her body again.

Gendry tightened the grip and smiled at her, eyes soft. “You sure? Not tired?”

“Come to think of it…” Arya let go of their hands and turned away.

“Hey, what are you -- oof”

Gendry felt Arya’s weight on his back, her arms around his neck, and her legs trying to wrap around his middle. She did it so fast that Gendry just managed to shuffle his hands to wrap around the back of her knees to secure her in position. Arya chuckled and spoke, “My boots are killing me.”

“Enjoying the fresh air up there, milady?” Gendry remarked, a smirk tugging on his lips. He was definitely enjoying the increased contact despite the additional weight on his back.

He was surprised when Arya buried her nose in his hair and took a long inhale, and muttered. “Mmm, yeah. Definitely.”

Gendry was sure that Arya felt the warmth grow tenfold from the back of his neck. He cleared his throat, trying to keep her from falling, and started walking.

“Let’s get you home, milady.”

She snorted, her laugh ringing through his ears.

“Go forth, my fine steed!”

\--

Gendry carried Arya on his back through the streets of King’s Landing. She kept doing small talk and pointing to interesting shops that they pass and telling him which direction to go. Eventually, she let out a loud yawn and got quiet.

He tried turning his head and saw Arya’s eyes closed, her mouth slightly ajar, letting out steady breaths. She fell asleep on her and Gendry can’t help but sigh. It’s a good thing that they were already in Arya’s neighboorhood and Gendry knew where to go.

When he arrived at Arya’s apartment building, he tried nudging Arya to wake her up but she just nuzzled further near his neck, which made him blush.

He trudged up the stairs up to the lobby, nodding back towards the security personnel when they noticed Arya on his back, and went straight to the elevator.

The mellow elevator music lulled Gendry and he eventually let out a yawn by the time the elevators opened for the penthouse.

He remembered the hallway from their first date and the accompanying memory sent a certain warmth to his chest. He decided to suppress the thought and cleared his throat, and tried to wake Arya again.

He turned his head sideways and spoke up. “Hey, milady. We’re here.”

He can see Arya stirring and when she slowly blinked open her gray eyes, Gendry had to restrain himself from turning his head further and dropping a kiss on her forehead. _And it would be so easy too._ He grimaced internally and settled on releasing his hold from the back of her knees. He saw her eyes widen before she slid down his back and removed her hold around his neck. He instantly missed the warmth but the immediate loss of the weight was a relief to his back.

Arya yawned while he tried to stretch, groaning when he felt the kinks unravel as he did so.

He heard the jingle of the keys and saw Arya opening her front door. She might have heard his breath hitching and she looked back at him shyly and then she cleared her throat, her eyes focusing on him.

“Do you want to come in?”

Gendry doesn’t know who leaned in first but suddenly they found themselves locked in a heated kiss with Arya’s hands tugging his hair and his arms around her.

They were able to get inside Arya’s apartment and Gendry found himself pinned to the door as Arya showered his jaw with open-mouthed kisses. He groaned when she sucked on a particular spot that made him grip Arya’s hair tightly while she let out a delicious moan at the sensation.

“Shit, Arya…” Gendry panted as she continued giving attention at his neck until she tugged his jacket and deftly removed it from his shoulders and arms, the clothing falling with a soft thud on the floor. Arya's hands started skimming the exposed skin of his arms, as she returned the attention to his lips.

Gendry’s pulse was racing so fast, both due to their shared lust and due to his uncertainty. He was afraid that they might be doing something that they might regret.

He hesitantly tugged Arya’s face away from his, her eyes wide and pupils impossibly dark. “Arya, hey.” _Fuck._ Her dishevelled look almost did it for him. “You sure about this?”

She blinked once and bit her lower lip and his head leaned involuntarily, his mind telling him to claim that lip for himself when Arya whispered, “Yes, I want you--”

And frankly, it was inevitable that their lips collided again, more passionate than before, with their tongues now dominating each other as they made their way to the bedroom.

Gendry felt the bed at the back of his knees and he slowly sat himself down while trying to get rid of Arya’s top as he kissed her smooth neck. She straddled him and he can only grunt annoyingly after a few minutes of blindless groping when he couldn’t find the openings.

With slight force, he threw Arya on the bed, her swollen lips slightly parted in surprise and her brown hair all around her head like a halo. He narrowed his eyes at her, “Remove your bloody top off.”

Gendry stood up and removed his own shirt quickly as Arya started to unclasp her bustier with unsteady hands. He toed off his boots next and then grasped one of Arya’s legs, dangling by the edge of the bed, and removed her chunky boots and then moved on to the other leg.

When he looked back at at Arya he had to swallow thickly as he regarded the view -- Arya with her bustier half open, her breasts trying to spill out of the opening, giving her an enticing cleavage. Her chest heaved in effort, slightly flushed as she successfully opened the last clasp, her perky breasts becoming free.

Gendry’s eyes darkened as he licked his lips and slowly moved over Arya. He felt her stop moving as their eyes met, both half-lidded, in the dim light of the room, .

He felt Arya’s small hands find their way to his hair again, as she guided him down to her waiting lips. Her lips were warm and moved against him languidly as he smiled at the change in pace while his hands started to roam further, from her face, to her shoulders, and settled on her waist.

After a while, he moved to her ears, nipping and licking the skin softly, as Arya’s breath hitched with every sensation.

He moved further down to the angle of her jaw, giving it the same attention as she did his earlier but in a more leisurely pace, enjoying the approving hums reverberating from her throat.

Next, he worshipped Arya’s neck and shoulders with soft kisses while his hands reached higher, rubbing the underside of her chest slowly.

It was then he noticed the stillness of the room, the steady rise and fall of Arya’s chest, and the soft snores coming from her lips.

“Hey?” Gendry asked he shook her shoulder gently. She let out a faint groan and somehow managed to turn underneath him and continued her sleep sideways.

Gendry sighed and willed his heartbeat to slow down.

The night was done and it ended better than he hoped for when he asked Arya today. He smiled softly at the thought.

He gathered the sheets that were crumpled in their haste and then covered Arya with the thin blanket. He then leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on her temple and got his shirt and boots that littered the floor.

When he turned towards the open bedroom door, he almost got a heart attack when he saw a huge dog -- Nymeria -- sitting there and blocking the way.

“Nymeria?” Gendry uttered softly as to not make her panic.

At the sound of her name, Nymeria’s tail wagged rapidly and then she stood up and started walking towards Gendry. She prodded her snout repeatedly at Gendry’s leg until he realized what she was doing.

“Do you want me to stay?”

Gendry frowned inwardly. He might really be drunk if he already resorted to asking a dog.

Nymeria looked up at him, her golden eyes shining against the dim surroundings. Then, she nudged his leg again.

“Okay then.” Gendry sighed as he let go of his boots and shirt by the bedside and crawled in the middle of the bed with Arya, but staying on top of the blanket.

What he did not expect was Nymeria hopping on the bed and settling over his and Arya’s legs, thus locking him in place. This night definitely turned weird.

But in all honestly, the feeling of Nymeria’s belly over his legs and the warmth of Arya’s body beside him started to soothe him.

He doesn’t even remember if he bade goodnight to his bedmates as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so excited to share this chapter that I wrote almost nonstop. This is the longest chapter to date at almost 7k words! What do you think of the last part? I just realized how hard it is to describe kissing scenes beautifully and with that I salute all the other writers who make it seem flowy and effortless! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. Let me know if you want smut. LOL, JK. Cheers, everyone!


	8. The Dawning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Apologies for the delayed update. I had a writer's block and I can't seem to write properly despite the outline. This is a continuation from the previous chapter and it also introduces the next one (which I'm still working on). A short filler chapter only. Thank you very much to everyone who commented and hit kudos on my story! It warms my heart to know that my efforts in writing are not in vain! ♥️

Arya opened her eyes, blinking slowly, as she adjusted to the light.

Her head felt like it was hit by a ton of bricks and her throat felt rough as she swallowed. She closed her eyes and groaned, nuzzling her cheeks further to the bed -- only to be met by a distinct firmness and warmth that can only come from a person. She held her breath as she gradually turned her head up and finally saw the the sleeping face of Gendry Baratheon.

_But wait--_

Suddenly, the memories of last night flooded Arya’s head. She felt the warmth creep into her face and neck as she remembered their frantic kisses, how Gendry _ordered_ her to take her top off, his firm chest grazing her sensitive nipples, more kisses, until the memory turned hazy, making her frown.

_Did we--?_

Her eyes widened at the thought, eventually sitting up and reluctantly removing herself from her perch at Gendry’s shoulder. The blanket fell off, revealing her bare chest but going further, she felt the scratch of her jeans on her legs and the socks on her feet. She sighed, a mixture of relief and disappointment.

She then looked down at the man on her bed. His onyx hair stuck up in every direction but he looked peaceful, his face devoid of lines and his mouth slightly ajar letting out steady breaths. Further down, she had to swallow embarrassingly when she saw a purplish bloom at the junction of his neck and shoulder. His muscular chest was also bare, a smattering of hair on top, dwindling down to his defined abs to the happy trail past his navel until it ended hidden by his jeans, where Arya licked her lips involuntarily when she caught sight of the noticeable bulge.

Again, she sighed. There was a high chance that the night didn’t lead tomore, which left her disappointed but also grateful. For some reason, she did not want to rush whatever _this_ is.

After another deep breath, she decided to stand up and take a shower to clear her head.

\--

Gendry woke up to his face being licked.

He blinked his eyes rapidly then turned his head to the source and met face to face with Nymeria’s wet snout. Oh right, he spent the night at Arya’s.

“Hey, girl.” His throat felt scratchy as he greeted the dog beside him. Nymeria let out a soft bark and turned away from the bed, but as she sauntered away from the room, she shot a look at Gendry as if asking him to follow her.

With that, Gendry sat up from the bed, groaning as he felt a bit lightheaded. He ran his hands on his face and his hair as the memory of last night flooded his head then he felt the unmistakable warmth bloom on his chest.

He took a deep breath as he looked sideways at Arya’s side of the bed, only finding it empty and already cold. He saw his shirt folded on top of the night stand so he got it and quickly slipped it on. Turning away from the bed, he donned his boots, stood up and walked out of the room, following the smell of coffee wafting through the air.

\--

“You sleep like the dead, Baratheon.” Arya announced as she turned around from her place at the stove. One hand with a coffee cup, the other with a spatula. She was wearing an oversized shirt and yoga pants and fluffy indoor slippers while Nymeria was standing beside her, looking at him, tail wagging.

Gendry smiled slowly as he entered the kitchen. “Good morning to you too, milady.”

He stopped a couple of steps from her as she went back to her cooking.

“Coffee’s on the pot there, my lord.” Arya gestured to the coffee maker at the end of the counter and Gendry trudged to the said pot, his throat itching for the hot liquid. He immediately poured some on a mug, dismissing the milk and sugar placed nearby. As soon as the coffee warmed his stomach, he let out a low groan of satisfaction, already feeling ready to tackle the day.

“I hope you’re fine with a full English breakfast.”

Gendry quirked his brow, “You didn’t have to do that.” and then his stomach growled loudly as soon as he finished his sentence.

Arya snorted, eyes rolling. She walked away from the stove, carrying the pan, to a small table where she then placed the egg on two separate plates, already heaping with sausages, bacon, and vegetables. His mouth watered at the sight.

She pulled a seat under the table, sat on it, then gestured on the space across her. Gendry walked towards Arya and settled on the seat, uncertain if he should focus on the woman across him or the enticing breakfast spread in front of him.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t put any poison on it… yet.” Arya said as she shoveled a forkful of eggs and bacon in her mouth, and then she let out an involuntary _moan._

The shrill sound of a fork falling on the plate immediately made Arya focus her stare at Gendry, her eyes wide. He was starting to get red then she realized what was happening, and suddenly they were caught in a blushing competition, until Gendry looked away and cleared his throat.

Gendry eventually tucked into his food and on his first bite, he finally understood Arya’s earlier predicament. The eggs and sausages were seasoned perfectly and the fact that he felt ravenous after a night of drinking exponentially boosted the taste tenfold.

“Wow, this is really good, Arya.” He said while trying to spoon some beans into his mouth.

“Um, yeah, consider it as my thank you for last night.” She said softly, still flustered.

“For what specifically?” Gendry can think of a couple of things and those thoughts made him warm.

She cleared her throat. “For inviting me to the gig, taking me home…” She swallowed, unsure if she should elaborate.

“You’re welcome, milady.” Gendry nodded, a small smile on his handsome face. “I had a great time, too.”

“Me too.” She said, a dazed sigh escaping her lips.

They talked about the gig last night and Arya even showed some pictures and videos she took on her phone, promising to send it to Gendry. They even discussed about Ned a bit, Gendry reluctantly telling stories from their rowing days back in the university and how he had to row for twelve hours straight as punishment because he slogged a senior from their team. Arya in turn, told him about her misadventures while training with the First Sword of Braavos. Any sign of awkwardness was gone by the time they finished their stories and their meals, as if they were back to normal. _Almost_.

Of course, Arya being Arya decided to talk about the elephant in the room.

“Nothing happened last night right?” She asked quietly, “We didn’t--”

Gendry shook his head, snorting. “Unfortunately, milady, you fell asleep on me before we can even begin.”

“Oh Gods. I’m sorry. I swear, _that_ usually doesn’t happen.” Arya snickered followed by an easy laugh from Gendry.

“First time time for me, too.” He said smugly.

“Would you prefer if I didn’t fall asleep?”

Gendry scowled, but his flushed face says otherwise. “Don’t start something you can’t finish, Arya.”

There was a beat and then they drank from their coffee cups at the same time.

“Who says I don’t finish what I started?”

It was a challenge.

And all Gendry has to do is to take the bait.

He took a deep breath, ready to answer but his phone took off, vibrating menacingly on top of the table.

_Renly Baratheon calling…_

He scowled. What does his uncle want with him right now? He refocused his gaze on Arya, her eyebrow raised.

“Aren’t you gonna get that?”

The vibration stopped and Gendry let out a sigh. Until his phone vibrated again. He groaned.

_Renly Baratheon calling…_

Arya nodded encouragingly as she cleared their table and walked away, leaving Gendry with a semblance of privacy. She can still hear Gendry’s grunts and short hissed replies despite the sound of the running water and clattering of utensils as she washed the dishes. She did feel fluttery and warm when he heard the whispered “love you too, bye” coming from Gendry, ending the phone call.

“Hey.” Gendry approached her and leaned on the counter.

“What’s up?” Arya asked in concern as she dried her hands.

“Well, apparently, we have an emergency family meeting today. And he was basically freaking out because I was nowhere to be found when he arrived at the townhouse.” He rolled his eyes. “You know how dramatic he can be.”

She laughed a bit. Renly’s flamboyant nature is the complete opposite of his grumpy nephew.

He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, so, I need to go.”

Arya did not expect the sudden sadness that creeped in. She tried to smile. “Yeah, okay. Do you need a ride?”

He shook his head. “No need, I’ll just book an Uber.”

“Look, Arya.” He swallowed. “Last night--”

“Oh. It’s okay. It doesn’t need to mean anything if you--.” She was already frowning. Gendry took her hand, his face breaking into a smile as he intertwined their fingers together. Arya looked up at him in wonder.

“I want it to mean something.” He cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. “But I understand if you don’t like--”

Arya smashed her lips to his, conveying her answer through each kiss. Both of them were smiling as they pulled away.

“I like you, you idiot.”

“Yeah, I gathered that.”

“But, is it okay if we just… you know, take it slow?”

“We can go as _slow_ as you want, milady.” He said with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Get your head out of the gutter, Baratheon!” She hissed, face flustered.

He chuckled. “As milady commands.”

He felt the telltale vibration of his phone from his pocket, reminding him to leave. He let out a apologetic smile at Arya. “Sorry, I really need to go.”

“It’s okay. I’ll see you soon, yeah?” 

“Of course. I’ll call you later.”

They kissed again. And it felt like a promise.

\--

They fell into a rhythm with each other as the days progressed.

On weekdays, Gendry picks her up after work and drives her home, then they prepare dinner together at Arya’s place. After dinner, they usually play a movie until Arya yawns and Gendry takes it as his cue to head home. Sometimes, when Gendry has to stay longer at work, it’s Arya who goes to the shop, takeout dinner in hand, and waits for him until he finishes and they drive home.

Their routine only halts when one of them is out of town. This sometimes annoys Arya as Gendry is not particularly adept at phone conversations and falls asleep on her during videocalls. Thankfully, most of their work trips have been few and far between and the reunion snogging greatly helps with Gendry’s apologies.

On weekends, Gendry arrives early at her doorstep so they can bring Nymeria to the dog park and squeeze in a quick jog before they go to the supermarket at Cobbler’s Square to get their weekly groceries. At nights, they eat out at nearby restaurants or see a movie or on very rare occasions, they get roped into pubs by Ned to catch-up.

It was during one of those excursions, when Gendry excused himself to go to the loo, that Ned asked her something that made her choke on the nachos.

“So, how’s Gendry in the sack?”

She thumped her chest, face flushed, as Ned slid her glass nearer so she can drink from it. Even after washing it down with water, her face remained red due to surprise and embarrassment. Ned can be a little crass after a few drinks.

“Um, we haven’t done it yet.”

Ned quirked his brow. “What do you mean? This is disappointing news, Arya.”

She groaned. “I know! It’s just that, I told him I wanted to take our time.”

“But it’s been, what, three, four months?” His eyes narrowed.

It has been close to four months since the fated Brotherhood gig and when they decided to date _but_ she did ask Gendry to take things slow. Sure, the domesticity of their blooming relationship leaves her with warmth, something that she never felt with Aegon. Perhaps, it was because they talked more about their day and shared interests that she felt a deeper connection with him, something more than friendship but not entirely on the plane of lovers _yet_.

If there is one thing that Arya can be sure about, it would be that constant thrum of electricity between them. Sometimes, she can’t help but entertain the mounting lust especially when he sees how Gendry tenses, eyes dark, whenever he has to pull away from their rather hot and heavy makeout sessions in her couch. She wants to unravel in front of him, his stormy ocean eyes only focused on her, buzzing in pleasure. But, the fantasy wanes as they separate, both feeling restricted with the unknown, as they gave each other space.

As the days passed, she regretted her decision on setting a glacial pace on their dating life. In between their tiring schedules, Arya cannot find the time to push further and explore their growing relationship.

“Don’t remind me.” She muttered. “We’ve come close a few times, but… I don’t really know.” She sighed. “It doesn’t feel like the right moment? The right time?”

“Every time is the right time when you’re horny.” Ned teased but eventually leaned back on his seat, looking thoughtful. “If I remember correctly, during uni, it’s usually the girls that throw themselves at him. He can be quite ascetic.” He chuckled. “He did get very good reviews though, aptly called the Bull. I do hope that you at least know why.”

She swallowed at Ned’s smirking face. Of course, she already felt _him_ , countless times, rutting at each other through their jeans like teenagers. He _is_ huge and at the back of her mind, she thinks how the hell can he fit. But by Gods, she will try. Her mind started to wander into a more carnal territory when Gendry scooted down beside her, gazing in concern.

“You okay?”

She probably looked like a tomato as she nodded to Gendry.

Ned snickered from across the table, knowing what was running through Arya’s mind at the moment. “I was just telling Arya about the bull-riding activity that I heard about and how much she will enjoy it. ”

She choked on her beer and Gendry soothed her back while Ned laughed boisterously as he steered their conversation to another topic.

“I’m assuming you also got invitations for that fundraising event for WRC, next weekend?”

“Yeah, Hot Pie messaged me about that.” Gendry muttered, uninterested.

“Jeyne informed me too, though, I haven’t confirmed yet. I’ll be in Braavos next week, and I’m not sure if I’ll have time to prepare.”

“Well, if she’s not going, I’m not going.” Gendry said in finality, downing his remaining beer.

“Why am I not surprised?” Ned rolled his eyes then trained his gaze at Arya. “Come on, Arya. I’m sure you can work around your schedule! Drop this grumpy man and be my date.”

Gendry growled, putting an arm around Arya possessively. “Stop it, Dayne.”

Arya and Ned giggled at his reaction, earning another groan and glare from the bigger man.

“I’ll try.” She sighed. “And I’m gonna bring this grumpy man too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: the gala! Let me know what you think/expect!


	9. Grand Gestures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the night of the gala and Arya has a lot on her mind. There are activities to be had and friendly faces to be seen but trouble seems to be brewing in the corner.

It was the day of the Westerosi Royals Club Annual Fundraising Gala and Arya found herself at Sansa and Willas’ hotel room at the area of the Red Keep. The couple from Highgarden was also invited to the event and when Arya accidentally blurted out that she was considering attending, Sansa swooped in and started fussing over everything. Apparently, the annual gala is one of the most sought after event in the Westerosi social calendar and everyone dressed to the nines, ready to rub elbows, gossip, and drink expensive champagne.

Sansa deemed it important that Arya be at her best foot forward since this will be her first time. Of course, her perfect sister immediately worked her magic and made her a simple but elegant silk dress, bought her shoes, matched appropriate jewelry, and even booked a styling team for the night. All Arya had to do was to go straight from the airport to Sansa’s hotel room and get sorted for the night. It was a tight schedule since her flight from Braavos lands mid-afternoon and the event starts at seven, but with a styling team at their disposal, the preparation will be a breeze. She sighed deeply as she sat on the makeup chair while her hair was being fixed into waves.

“You okay, hun?” The hairstylist, Luke, she thinks, asked her in concern.

She gave a small smile, staring at Luke through the the mirror on the dresser. “I’m okay. No need to worry.”

She went back to mirror and peered at herself again. The makeup artist did a light makeup on her, just enhancing her brows and eyelashes, but packed a punch by choosing a deep burgundy lipstick. By the time Luke finishes with her hair, she will look like an old Hollywood actress, classic but glamorous.

In all honesty, she was grateful to Sansa for all her fussing but she can’t help but feel the sadness loom as the minutes pass. Earlier that morning, Gendry called her that they were encountering some problems at their Storm’s End branch, where he spent his days while Arya was in Braavos. He said he’ll do his best to sort it out so he can arrive on time for the gala, but it would be difficult without his Uncle Renly, who obviously shirked his responsibilities and was probably already in King’s Landing, preparing with Loras for the same event. 

Gendry was supposed to pick her up from the hotel and arrive together at the gala, but alas, the universe threw a wrench at their plans. Arya nearly cried in frustration and almost called Sansa to tell her she was not attending anymore, but Gendry, still having a clear head that morning, told her to push through with the event as to not waste her sister’s effort. He reiterated that he will do his damnedest to be at her side before the gala was done, in which both of them snorted at the same time at the absurdity his words. In the end, Arya followed Gendry’s advice, focusing her attention instead to Sansa, who she hasn’t seen in a few months. She missed her sister, truly.

It might also be too late to go back to their original plan which was to ditch the gala. At first, Gendry was adamant on not attending but Hot Pie informed him that one of the beneficiaries of the fundraiser was the Flea Bottom Community Center. It was a place close to his heart and he softened up to the idea of giving back to his old community (as if his monthly donations were uncounted) and pledged attendance. He then asked Arya if she can be his date… which is honestly the main thing left her flustered.

It would be their first public appearance _together_.Technically, they do go out but they keep PDA to a minimum. In the four months they’ve been doing whatever they were doing, they haven’t bumped into someone significant to warrant confrontation of their feelings -- which they probably should do soon. _Or is it too early?_ She never encountered this problem with Aegon. It was maybe because he was too aggressive, too persuasive, that he managed to sway her into a relationship like a leaf caught in a hurricane, and look where it got her. The thing with her and Gendry felt different -- delicate, light, but there is a certain strength to it, she muses, that can weather storms. 

They haven’t really talked about the specifics of their relationship but they both understood that they were exclusively dating and were happy keeping things under wraps. She might have shared some details to Sansa but she bullied her to keep her mouth shut. Ned obviously knows they are dating. On Gendry’s side, well, he doesn’t have a lot of friends, does he?

Arya let out another heavy sigh. She must have delved into her thoughts too deeply that when she saw herself again, she was already wearing the beautiful pale pink silk dress and the diamond jewelries. She was still blinking rapidly at her reflection on the mirror, appreciating the miraculous work that the styling team did when Sansa entered the room and told her it was time to go.

\--

The ride to the Glass Gardens, the venue for the gala, only took fifteen minutes from the hotel. Due to the number of cars and alighting guests, it took them another fifteen minutes to arrive at the front steps. They did make use of the time chatting especially with Sansa egging her about her love life while Willas was left floundering, trying to find out who the mystery man is. When the car halted to the designated point, Sansa looked at her with focused eyes.

“What?”

“Don’t forget to smile, Arya.”

“Why?”

Sansa rolled her blue eyes and sighed. “You’ll see. Just try to be less grumpy, okay?”

She did not understand the necessity of hiding her gloom until she exited the car after Sansa and Willas, and was surprised to see a number of photographers and flashing lights greeting her. _Right_ , this was a _society_ event and she had to tap the persona of Lady Arya of Winterfell.

When she was a child, she used to despise gatherings like these, but as she grew older, she finally understood the need of wearing a mask and playing the part. Members of the nobility and high society do not care for crumpled faces. If you want to exert influence and get shit done, you have to look powerful. She learned that a wide smile and a confident stance can do wonders. She took a deep breath and got her bearings. She then stood straighter and flashed a smile to the photographers until someone approached her and ushered her towards the gilded glass door of the building. 

\--

Arya can’t help but let her mouth fall when she saw the interiors of the Glass Gardens. It was transformed into an ethereal nightscape with fairy lights and hanging bulbs from the high ceilings, complemented with several floral arrangements spanning the vast space of the ballroom. There was an ambient classical tune playing in the background along with the chatter of the numerous guests scattered around the room. She can probably count around two hundred people already inside, all well-dressed and and in high spirits, but she can’t help but feel out of place especially without her sister at her side. Her eyes continued roaming among the people gathering at the lobby, trying to find Sansa and Willas, when she felt goosebumps rising at her exposed back. Her heartbeat sped up and when she turned around, she was able to find the signal fire that is Sansa’s hair, just a few meters away.

She sighed. She ought to calm down. As much as she tolerates these events, she still can’t help blips of anxiety especially with a large number of unknown people. She took a deep breath and smiled when she saw Sansa approaching her, with Willas on her side.

“There you are.” Sansa gave her a bright smile and tangled her free arm through Arya’s elbow. “Come, it’s about to start.”

They soon found an empty table a few meters from the stage. They settled down and after a few minutes, the music died down and the lights dimmed except for a single spotlight directed on the stage. She saw the almost familiar face of Petyr Baelish from her childhood memories.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to formally welcome you to the Annual Fundraising Gala by the Westerosi Royals Club. We are grateful for your attendance and rest assured that we have several pursuits that can cater to your interests to help you reach through your hearts for our chosen beneficiaries. Our associates are stationed in each activity hall to assist you. In the mean time, enjoy the exquisite meals and wine we have prepared for you. We truly hope that you enjoy the rest of the night.”

Baelish’s opening speech was met with demure claps as he stepped off the stage. The ballroom reverted to its previous ambiance and several attendants sprouted out from the sides to serve food to the seated guests.

“So, what do you do at these things?” Arya asked curiously, brow raised at Sansa.

“Well, as Uncle Petyr said, there are several halls to choose from. There’s art, antiques, rare food and beverages, a mini casino, drinking lounges. However, if you don’t want to bother with those, there is the donation room somewhere at the lobby.” She responded nonchalantly.

“Wow, that’s a lot.” Arya blinked, surprised. “Also, a mini casino? Is that allowed?” She racked her brains for any illegalities that might be crossed during this gala.

“Under the guise of charity, everything is possible. You know that, Arya.” Sansa rolled her eyes. “You’ll be surprised how fast time flies when you’re here.”

“And how fast your pocket empties.” Willas commented, smirking.

“Touché, my love.” Sansa giggled, clinking her wine glass with her husband. “Last year, we retired around two in the morning with several modern art paintings signed off.”

Willas let out a soft chuckle, remembering the memory. “We got so drunk with the free flowing Dornish red and when we had our wits back, we had to squeeze our heads together why we chose modernist art when the Highgarden decors lean towards Baroque.”

“Suffice to say, we are staying away from the art hall this time.” She sighed. “But you should definitely check it out. You might find a good painting for the penthouse or for Winterfell.”

\--

They finished their dinner in half an hour and the trio made their way to the halls. As they passed the art hall, Willas caught something and pulled Sansa inside, despite their earlier insistence of avoiding the said room. Arya snorted softly as she followed them. Inside, the walls were decorated with different sizes and types of paintings while some corners were set with sculptures of various dimensions.

Arya walked off from the couple as they inspected a huge painting of multicolored roses by the entrance. She surveyed the paintings, musing on Sansa’s advice to find one for herself. Despite the steep price tags on most the artwork, Arya can’t help but be open to the idea of spending tonight since part of the proceeds from this event will go to the beneficiaries.

One of the sculptures caught her eye at the far corner. It was a circular seafoam blue metal plate with gnarly silver lines crisscrossing to make it look like a leaf or dried tree branches. The coldness from the colors and materials used reminded her of Winterfell.

The artwork name is No. 21 by GWB. _So pretentious._ She rolled her eyes but the price was within her budget. The name card also said that for this work, 100% of the proceeds will be donated. _Fine_ , maybe the artist didn’t deserve her eyeroll but anyway, she’s sure that this sculpture will look good in her father’s study. Or hers.

She was about to approach the associate for payment details when she met face to face with Gendry, clad in a midnight blue suit, hair somewhat coiffed up, and a slightly smug smile on his perfectly chiseled face.

“I’m sorry I’m late, milady.”

She blinked. She hasn’t seen Gendry for a few days, minus during videocalls, but how dare he be within her vicinity looking this tempting in a suit and smelling this good! She cracked into a smile as he stopped in front of her, got one of her hands, and kissed her knuckles softly. The glint in his eyes told her he wanted to do more but they are in public and this is as much physical affection he can allow.

Her smile grew bigger until she can’t help but reply teasingly. “And here I thought, I’d have to find another date for tonight.”

“Ah, no need for that then.” He smirked as he stood beside her, hands still intertwined.

“How’d you arrive here so fast?” Arya asked curiously. Storm’s End is at least four hours drive from King’s Landing, three if you’re breaking speed limits. And based on their texts, Gendry was still there during the late afternoon.

Gendry flushed from her question as he tugged on his necktie. “Uh… I had to use the private jet.”

Arya looked at him understandingly as she squeezed his hand. Even for a short time that she knew Gendry, he never boasted about his wealth and was always uncomfortable talking about his family’s affluence. His humility makes Arya grow fonder of the Baratheon man beside her.

“Did you leave your trusty Jeep there?”

He nodded, grimacing. “I might need someone to drive it back or I’ll pick it up later next week.” He sighed. “Anyway, enough about me, milady. Tell me about your day.” His eyes roamed carefully over her. “Your sister did quite a number on you. You look very nice.” He cleared his throat. “Not that you don’t look nice everyday.”

She blushed. “Thank you. It’s been a long time since I attended these kinds of functions so yeah, Sansa was heaven-sent.” She smirked. “And I think you should know…”

“What?”

She raised her brow in challenge. “This lipstick is, apparently, kiss-proof.”

Gendry groaned and stared back at her with darkening eyes. “We’ll see to that later, milady.”

She chuckled, obviously satisfied with his answer, as she leaned into Gendry’s arm. She returned her attention to the metal sculpture and peered up to Gendry, an amused smile on his face.

“I want to buy this. For dad. What do you think?”

There was a beat before Gendry snorted. “It doesn’t feel right to criticize my own work.”

Arya’s eyes bugged out as she faced him again. “Don’t jest!”

“I’m not.” He gestured to the name card. “GWB is Gendry Waters Baratheon. Hot Pie asked me to donate some of my scrap work.”

“Don’t be daft. This is not scrap! This is beautiful, Gendry!” She wanted to shake the man before her but he stood solidly.

He scratched his head. “Technically, it is… scrap metal which I repurposed, some I recasted in the forge--”

“You have a forge?”

“A small one in Storm’s End. ” He smiled down at Arya, her mouth agape in wonder and surprise.

“Damn. Why did you not tell me that sooner! We should be driving down at Storm’s End to make our swords and knives instead of watching Forged in Fire!”

“Well, it’s been a while. I’ve been quite busy.”

“Yeah, yeah. But promise me we’ll visit your forge?”

“Of course, milady.” He can’t help but kiss her knuckles again, happy about their plan.

“Anyway! I’m definitely buying this!” She said excitedly.

“You sure? I can just give it to you for free, you know.”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you want to raise money for the Flea Bottom Community Center or not?”

His soft chuckle was music to her ears as she tugged Gendry towards the curator’s table.

They bumped into Sansa and Willas while they were ironing out the details for their purchase. They did get the humungous rose painting, both thrilled to display it at Highgarden, and promised that it’s the only art-related item they bought.

Eventually, Arya had to formally introduce Gendry to Sansa. Willas and Gendry were previously acquainted through Loras, so they instantly made small talk.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Gendry.” Sansa smiled softly as she leaned in for cheek kiss with no difficulty at all due to their closer heights.

Gendry blushed, frozen at gesture, as he stammered a reply. “Good things, I hope.”

“Of course. I know it’s Arya who’s a handful.” She smirked while Willas tried to cough out a laugh and Arya shot them with an icy glare.

“It’s okay. I’ve got two hands.” He shrugged, then Sansa let out a shrill laugh, Willas chuckled, while Arya turned red while trying to stop from smiling.

“Ah, you really are a funny lot, you Baratheons.” Willas commented.

Sansa nodded giddily then turned her attention to Arya. “Well, I think you’ll be in _good hands_ tonight, dear sister.” A knowing glint passed her eyes as she gestured back to Gendry.

Arya groaned, “Sansa--”

“We’ll leave Arya to you then, Gendry.” Sansa winked at the two of them as she pulled Willas away from the hall.

\--

The abrupt departure of the Highgarden couple left Arya and Gendry to wander by themselves. It was Gendry’s second time attending but he said that the first one didn’t count since he just had dinner and went home, much to the disappointment of his Uncle Renly.

They were walking along a slightly crowded hallway, with smartly dressed guests chatting with champagne flutes in their hand, when a familiar voice called Arya’s attention. It was Jeyne Heddle.

“Ms. Stark, Mr. Baratheon. It’s nice to see both of you here.” Jeyne said with pleased smile. “Would you like to participate in our auction hall?”

Arya looked at Gendry and he shrugged. “Sure. What items are up for auction?”

Jeyne typed their names in her tablet and chuckled. “It’s not much of a _what_ , but more of a _who_.”

Both of them raised their brows as Jeyne gestured them inside and led them to a standing cocktail table. The room was packed and people were chanting their bids, with increasing tittering and gasps, as the numbers went up and when their gaze landed on the raised platform, they finally understood why.

“All expense paid date with Podrick Payne for twenty one fifty, going once… going twice! Sold to that beautiful lady in green for twenty one fifty!” The auctioneer’s bell rung over the collective groan and some claps from the bidders. “Congratulations, my lady. You may now claim your prize.”

The auctioneer gestured to the flustered burly man at the platform as a woman in a deep forest green gown walked forward. There were some cheers and hushed chatter as the couple finally met in front, greeting each other awkwardly.

At this point, Arya narrowed her eyes to Jeyne. “Is this what I think it is?”

Jeyne scratched her cheek, smiling nervously as she also caught Gendry’s grim stare. “We are the Matchmaking Services arm, after all.”

“I hope you didn’t--”

The auctioneer’s bell rung again, calling for bidders. “Next up, we have…. Arya Stark!”

_Fuck._ Arya’s lips set into a tight line as she raised her eyebrows to an abashed Jeyne.

“It’s randomized! I swear! I’m sorry, Arya. We can withdraw if you want.” Jeyne bit her lip. “But, if you proceed, we can donate the full bidding amount to the charities.” She regarded the couple, looking both apologetic and expectant.

“Do we have Arya Stark in the room?” The bell rung again.

_She probably didn’t expect that I’m coming in with someone._ Arya turned her attention to Gendry, arms crossed over his chest, frowning. He sighed. “Go. I’ll bid for you.”

She grimaced. _That was unexpected._ But in her mind, she knows Gendry won’t screw this up. “Fine.”

Arya heard a suppressed shriek coming from Jeyne as she shouted “Here!” as she directed them forward. 

\--

Arya stood in the platform, trying to hold a small smile, as the auctioneer droned on about her basic information and interests. She surveyed the room and she counted close to a hundred people packed inside, a healthy mix of men and women. She felt her stomach drop when she noticed the distance between her and Gendry, situated all the way back; a reassuring mass nonetheless, towering over the other guests up front.

She heard the auctioneer declare that the starting bid would be at three hundred with additions of fifty for every call. The bell rung and her smile grew wider as she saw Gendry raise his hand for a bid.

\--

Five minutes after the starting call, Gendry was starting to lose his nerve. There were at least ten men bidding for Arya and he just wanted this to end. A well-known voice spoke up beside him as he lowered his hand from bidding.

“What’s happening here?”

Gendry just glared at him as Ned whistled when he saw Arya in the platform. “Interesting.” He raised his hand, grinning at Gendry.

“Fuck you, Dayne.” Gendry raised his hand again.

“You know, you can actually declare an amount at this point.” He waved his hand up.

“Stop it.” He hissed, annoyed, as he lifted his hand again.

“Fifteen hundred!” Ned shouted.

“Damn it.” Gendry cleared his throat. “Two thousand!”

\--

Arya’s eyes widened as she heard a bid called from the back, followed by the familiar rumble of Gendry topping the amount. She swallowed as the auction floor stopped for a beat. She prayed that it was the end but another raised hand was called and they were back to bidding.

Her smile was faltering, already tired. The slimy Frey man raised his hand again, followed by the Bolton bastard, then a darker skinned man, then an older man, even the Payne guy called for a bid, then it's back to Gendry, and was that Ned? She sighed.

This went on for another five minutes until an exasperated yell came from the back. It was Gendry.

“Four thousand!”

Several gasps were heard and some even turned their head towards the source of the voice. The bid amount was almost double from the previous one. Arya didn’t know if she would laugh or cry at the turn of events.

“All expense paid date with Arya Stark for four thousand, going once… going twice! Sold to that dashing gentleman at the back! Congratulations!” The auctioneer rung his bell.

_Fucking finally._

Before the auctioneer can finish his spiel, Arya was already stepping off the platform and meeting Gendry halfway through the room.

“Told you, I’ll bid for you.” He said smugly, though a bit uncomfortable. He placed his hand at Arya’s back and steered them back to their table.

She chuckled softly. “How can I even repay you?” The amount was too much and she was already thinking of ways how to make it lighter for Gendry.

“I’m sure you can think of a few things.” He raised his brows, eyes dark.

She bit her lip as warmth flooded through her chest. A promise for later. “Of course.”

Back at their table, Arya was able to greet Ned with a hug much to the irritation of Gendry as he was stuck dealing with Jeyne for his bid. Eventually, they all agreed to ditch the auction hall and explore the other offerings of the fundraising gala.

\--

Ned led them to the food and beverage hall at the lower grounds of the venue while chattering about his life since their last night out. It was mostly rants about his colleagues in the hospital while Arya commented and Gendry grunted, less invested on the conversation.

Upon their entry to the hall, they were immediately greeted by a pudgy man with a big smile.

“Gendry! You’re here!” He opened up his arms and wrapped a surprised Gendry in a quick bear hug while Ned and Arya gasped. They both knew that Gendry doesn’t like being touched in general.

The bigger man cleared his throat as he straightened out his suit and nodded to the man in front of him. “Hot Pie.”

“And you brought friends! Welcome to the Food and Beverage Hall. I am the associate in charge here. I’m Harry Pie.” He held out his hand and Ned shook it firmly. “You may call me Hot Pie though! Perks of being Gendry’s friends!”

“Edric Dayne. You may call me Ned.”

“Arya Stark--”

“Of Winterhell!”

“Winterfell.” Arya said firmly.

“I’m pretty sure it’s Winterhell.” Hot Pie mused.

“It’s Winterfell, Hot Pie.” Gendry quickly added as he placed his hand at Arya’s back again, a reminder to stop the woman from going off. Hot Pie eyes widened as he turned his attention to Gendry, who narrowed his eyes despite the redness on his face.

Hot Pie shrugged and immediately clapped his hand to change the topic. “Anyway, we have a lot of selections this year for the food and beverage hall. We have the usual fare from Westeros but we also have some imports from Essos. You can buy directly from the displays but if the merchant is sold out, you may coordinate with me especially if you’d like bigger orders.”

“Oh, that sounds great. The reds we get here in King’s Landing do not compare to Dornish ones.” Ned pondered loudly as Hot Pie nodded enthusiastically.

“Don’t let my sister hear you. She’s partial to Arbor ones.” Arya commented as she surveyed the crowded hall. There were a lot of tables and shelves filled with varying produce. She can smell the fruity scent of wines and the distinct cheesy odors permeating around the room.

“Those are watered down substitutes compared to Dornish reds.” Ned groaned. “How about you, Gendry? What’s your poison?”

“Nothing, but I’d like to look around for some beer.” He muttered, eyes also scanning the room.

Arya raised her brow in question, “For R&D?”, and Gendry nodded.

Hot Pie’s attention was called by someone and the trio took it as their cue to continue exploring. As they were walking through the hall, it dawned on them why this room was packed. The merchants kept handing out samplers generously and wine was free-flowing both from the sellers and the cup-bearers scattered about the room.

They wandered curiously and spent considerable time inside while being plied with wine glass after wine glass when Arya felt a shiver along her back. It definitely didn’t come from Gendry who was talking to a Norvosi ale merchant a two tables away or from Ned who was inspecting the cheese display across her. Maybe it was all the wine she sampled, already at nine if she remembered correctly, or maybe she just needed to go to the loo.

She quickly approached Ned then Gendry to tell them she’s going to the ladies’ room. Gendry insisted to go with her but she declined and told him to continue shopping and that she’ll find him easily enough with that height of his.

Unfortunately for Arya, the restroom was located outside the hall which was a quite a long walk even if completely sober. Honestly, the wines handed out were high quality and she felt her step faltering as she went on her way. She was thankful that the lavatory was uncrowded and properly decked out that after relieving herself, she gave herself a few minutes to sit on a plush bench by the powder room.

She made her way back to the hall, although slowly, already aware of the alcohol in her system. She just passed the first row of tables when she felt another shiver run through her spine and then she felt a cold hand wrap around her wrist.

“Arya.”

It was Aegon _fucking_ Targaryen.

\--

“Hey, can we talk?”

Arya tugged her hand from his grasp but it was tight. She settled on shooting a sharp glare as she faced Aegon. It has been months but there were no physical changes on the willowy man except that he has a dazed look on his eyes.

“Please, Arya, I --”

“There’s nothing to talk about, Aegon.” She hissed low as to not attract attention and she tried prying from his hold using her other hand.

Aegon’s eyes darkened then he yanked her forcefully to his chest as his other hand went to the back of her head, locking her in place. Arya can finally smell the faint scent of alcohol as he exhaled though his mouth. She can hear some gasps from the background but she focused her scowl at Aegon while she squirmed from his hold.

“Let go of me.”

“Not until you forgive me, love.” Aegon leaned his head forward and he settled near her temple, inhaling deeply. “You still smell so fucking good.” Arya fidgeted, but he was stronger, his lips trailed from her temple to her neck. “I missed you so much.” She felt frozen in her spot as the sound of chatter increased. She closed her eyes as she felt the tears prickling.

A few beats followed until she felt a strong jerk, disentagling Aegon’s hold. She fell back unsteadily until someone caught her elbows. It was Ned holding her up as he glowered past her. She glanced forward and saw Gendry, his whole body tensed in anger as he stared down Aegon.

Aegon broke into a smug smile as he leered at her then back at Gendry. He sized him up and then let out a low chuckle.

“So you fucking her then, Baratheon?” He taunted loudly.

There was a deep growl as Gendry answered him with his fist.

All hell broke loose.

Gendry threw the first punch but Aegon countered in kind. It quickly turned into a messy brawl as they scuffled among the tables. Aegon’s insults become dirtier as Gendry’s hits become fiercer. There were some shouts and horrified gasps from the onlookers. Some male guests and attendants including Ned and Hot Pie, tried to go in between them. It took effort and a collateral blow or two, but eventually they managed to pry them apart. Both were panting, bloodied, and bruised but their intense stares did not falter.

Aegon’s bloody mouth stretched into a self-satisfied smirk while Gendry’s face hardened as he let out a grave warning.

“Stay the fuck away from Arya.”

\--

There was a rush of activity after the incident. Hot Pie directed them to the staff room where he got the medicine kit as Ned tried to evaluate possible injuries. Gendry refused the examination at first, but Arya’s contrite gaze made him balk. He nodded at Ned then the latter started wiping his bloody knuckles and face with a dampened cloth.

Arya moved to Gendry’s back and gingerly hugged him from behind. He heard muffled apologies confessed on his broad shoulders and he can’t help but cover her dainty hands with his larger, bruised ones and squeeze reassuringly.

Ned let out a deep sigh, finally finished with his movements. “No cuts or open wounds, but there would definitely be bruising. Are you feeling any painful spots?”

Gendry shook his head. “Just an overall soreness, I guess, but very light.”

“Ah, that’s good. You’ll just need a hot bath then. Do you want some pain meds?”

He grunted. “No. I can handle it.”

An incoming ruckus caught their attention. It was Sansa, Willas, Loras, and Renly, entering the room, mirroring each other with the concerned looks on their faces. They instantly fussed over Gendry and Arya and asked about what happened.

Arya grimaced. “He said wanted to talk to me.”

Gendry’s scowl deepened, “That wanker _touched_ Arya.”

Sansa furrowed her brows while Renly nodded in understanding.

“Do you want to press charges?” Sansa asked.

In all honesty, Arya’s head was still hazy from what happened and she doesn’t trust herself to make hasty decisions at the moment. “I’ll think about it, Sansa.”

“It’s going to be a PR shitstorm but we can handle that.” Renly declared and then gave them a soft smile.

There were more questions but Ned stepped up and answered to the best of his knowledge. It gave them time to drone out the conversation and refocus on one another.

They sighed, both relieved. It has been a long day. 

Gendry glanced at Arya, his eyes back to being clear blue pools. His lips stretched into a small smile as he regarded the woman beside him.

“I think it’s time we go home, milady.”

Arya gave out a rueful grin and then gazed back at Gendry. Their breaths hitched at the same time. Her gray eyes darkened, anticipating, _wanting_.

“Yours?”

“Mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of Gendry flexing in this chapter? I was hesitant to write an extravagant Gendry at first, since I see him as a thrifty person even with hard-earned money BUT I think he will splurge from time to time when it comes to Arya. Anyway, we're nearing the end of this story. It feels bittersweet. Thank you very much for the support! Your comments and kudos inspire me to write faster! 
> 
> Some references:  
> Dress, HMU - Maisie at 2017 SAG Awards  
> Contemporary sculptures - Dong Hyun Kang


	10. Outliers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This picks up from where we left off from the previous chapter. Arya and Gendry enters a more serious phase in their relationship and decisions are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter earned the Explicit rating.   
> There's smut ahead.   
> Be warned or please enjoy, whichever works.

Arya was not entirely sure how they managed to arrive unscathed at Gendry’s townhouse but she was sure it involved beating numerous stop lights and overtaking several cars. In her mind, the details are quite hazy especially when she is otherwise occupied with more important things.

As soon as Gendry hit the brakes, their eyes met, the desire palpable. Inevitably, their lips crashed together. As their kisses and touches turned more frantic, Arya tried to scoot over the center console with the help of Gendry’s tight grip on her waist. Her silk dress, unfortunately, had other plans. Instead of landing elegantly on Gendry’s lap, her dress snagged on the driving stick and strained further, reminding Arya that the garment has no slits whatsoever to provide her with any drastic movement. She fell into a disgruntled heap on Gendry’s lap, her face planted on his thighs. After a few seconds, she heard a chuckle and turned her head to an amused Gendry, his blue eyes trained at her.

“I think we should head inside.”

\--

After gracelessly exiting the car and ambling through the front door, Arya found herself pinned to the wall, with Gendry’s lips leaving a hot trail of kisses on her jaw, on her neck, then on her shoulders. She can’t help but moan when she felt the thin straps of her dress fall away with a rough tug from Gendry’s hands. She felt the silken strands of cloth pool on her waist as she heard his breath hitch when the kisses stopped.

“Fuck, Arya…”

She opened her eyes and focused her gaze on Gendry, his face still trained on her now bare chest. She can’t help but chuckle out, “Like the view down there?”

Gendry gulped as he stood straighter, his eyes now on Arya. With both hands, he held her face up. “No, I like this better.”

Arya didn’t know that it was still physically possible to blush on her current state, but she felt herself grow warmer under Gendry’s steady gaze, with his eyes more black than blue. Her hands found themselves on top of his and squeezed them briefly. She then tugged them down and positioned his hands on the bow at the back of her waist, silently asking him to unravel her. With a nod, Gendry pulled the silk tie, and Arya felt the the dress slide down from her hips to the floor.

Gendry looked down and cursed under his breath when he saw the tiny black panties and the strappy heels that Arya wore and nothing else. When he looked up, he caught her biting her lip, her eyes dancing with an amused glint.

“I think you’re overdressed, Mr. Baratheon.”

He groaned before crashing his lips on hers for another round of kisses. Both of them started fumbling over his clothing, with him removing his coat and with her detangling his bowtie.

As their kisses deepened, Gendry’s dress shirt followed the heap on the floor while Arya busied herself by caressing the newly exposed torso. She heard him hum in approval as she let her hand roam over the firm planes of his muscles while his hands mirrored hers, spreading fire over her back, her hips, and her waist… however, Arya was growing impatient. She huffed after Gendry swiped his thumb at the underside of her breasts then started wandering again, as if avoiding the place where Arya wants him.

“Stop teasing me, Gendry.”

He let out a ragged chuckle and rested his forehead on hers. One of his hands is on her chin and the other was playfully massaging the side of hips. “What do you want me to do, milady?”

It was a loaded question and they both knew the answer. Arya bit her lip then trained her clouded gaze on Gendry. An errant hand accidentally brushed the firm bulge on his pants as she grasped his belt.

“Everything, Gendry. I want everything with you.”

“Are you sure?” His breaths are deeper now as she unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants. Her hands unzipped his pants and Gendry let out a suppressed moan as she tentatively touched his still clothed erection.

“Yes, love.”

They locked eyes and both felt the change in the atmosphere, heavier and more electric. Gendry smirked as he suddenly hoisted Arya up, wrapping her bare legs around his torso. 

“As milady commands.”

Gendry smothered Arya with open-mouthed kisses as he thrusted his hips towards Arya’s center. Both moaned at the initial contact until they were rutting against each other, panting through each other’s lips. After a particularly hard thrust, Arya managed to croak out, “Take me to bed, Gendry.”

With that, he started walking deeper into the house with Arya still on his arms, while her lips lapped and nipped on Gendry’s ears and neck.

Arya was startled when suddenly, she was thrown on a bed and then pulled towards the edge. She had to refocus her eyes on Gendry as he started removing her heels. She felt another wave of warmth as she watched him and the flood of arousal gave her the idea to shimmy out of her panties. This did not go unnoticed by him and worked faster on the other foot. When he was done, Arya was able to remove her underwear fully and smirked at him.

“What?”

She answered his gruff question with her flying underwear straight to his face. He caught it in his hand and licked his lips. His voice was rough when he stated the obvious, “You’re fucking soaked, milady.”

She giggled a bit until she stood up and kissed him again. Both of them pushed down his pants while Gendry removed his shoes in the process. With a sudden force, Arya managed to whirl them around and Gendry found himself flat on his back. He sat up and saw Arya smiling smugly, all in her naked glory, illuminated by the moonlight through his window. Gendry’s eyes wandered over her body, all smooth skin over lithe muscles, pert breasts, and a well-groomed nether region. He can smell her arousal from where he is sitting, but of course, they are just arm’s length apart.

“Proud of that, are you?” He can’t help but tease as he removed his socks and then slowly, his eyes locked on Arya, he removed his boxer briefs, enjoying the reaction on Arya’s face when he finally exposed his manhood. Her eyes are still trained on his crotch so he did the best thing to get her attention… he threw his briefs to her face.

She sputtered and he let out a roaring laugh, falling into the bed as Arya clambered towards him.

“Why you!---”

“I just returned the favor, milady.” Gendry said, still with remnants of his mirth.

At this point, they became aware of their positions as their eyes locked once again. Arya was on all fours on top of him, bracketing his torso, her wavy hair cascading down at the sides of her face, almost tickling his cheeks.

Gendry raised his hand and tangled it in her hair. Slowly, he pulled her head down until their lips met again in a languid kiss. He flipped them over and he continued the slow descent of kisses to her neck, to her chest, until he finally licked one taut breast and gently fondled the other one. He heard Arya’s hitched breath and he trained his eyes on her as he put the breast on his mouth. He hummed as her eyes closed, face contorted in pleasure, while her fingers tangled on his hair. He gave the same attention to the other breast with Arya’s whimpers encouraging him further. He started trailing down, leaving sparse kisses on his wake, until he was face to face with Arya’s core, already dripping, her arousal quite evident.

Another look and she nodded as she bit her already swollen lip. With that, he resumed on his mission and gave a generous lick on her slit and sucked on the small nub. He repeated the process until Arya’s moans became louder and the grip on his hair tighter. He teased one finger in and he heard a soft curse from her lips. He pumped the finger in and out while licking his clit until there was a breathy request for “More, Gendry, please.”

He is but a servant to the goddess laid under him so he gave two fingers in kind, curling inside and pumping, and sucking harder on the engorged nub as the moans mounted and suddenly there was twitching around his fingers while Arya’s back arched from the bed with his name on her lips.

He laid his head on her legs while he waited until she caught her breath, but his fingers continued their ministrations, gently this time, while his thumb massaged her clit.

“Fuck.” She took a deep breath and peered down on Gendry. “Stop that.”

Gendry smiled and pulled out his wet fingers, earning another whimper from Arya. “You okay there, milady?”

She chuckled. “Come here.” She tugged on his hair and Gendry went up and hovered over her until she pulled down his head for another slow kiss.

“Let me make it up to you.” She said with eyes full of promise. And with a quick flip, Gendry was on his back again, but this time, he had to groan as Arya pushed down and slid her wet core along his erection. She did this several times until Gendry held her hips to stop her.

He swallowed as Arya understood the pleading look in his eyes. He started reaching for his nightstand but her voice stopped him.

“I’m on the pill, Gendry.” She said as she positioned herself on top of his weeping manhood that she held with her hand. He grasped the side of her hips. “Are you sure?”

Her steady gaze caught his own as she nodded and slowly descended on his cock. A slight whimper escaped Arya’s lips as she felt the delicious stretch from his girth. His fingers gave her pleasure but it did not hold a candle to the throbbing cock she is welcoming into her body. Gendry, meanwhile, forgot how to breathe as he watched his length disappear within the depths of Arya. Both of them exhaled raggedly as Arya sat flush on his hipbone, taking him fully to the hilt.

“Damn, Arya.” His grip was tight on her hips as he trained his breathing to even out. It has been a while and he definitely does not want to end the night prematurely.

“You okay there, love?” Her chest was heaving but there was a teasing lilt reflected on her eyes. Gendry chuckled but stopped when Arya whined and grasped his forearms in support, feeling the movement within her. “Fuck…don’t laugh, Baratheon.”

He smirked smugly, “Then make me shut up, Stark.”

She took a deep breath and raised an eyebrow. It was a challenge and it heightened the pleasure already spreading in her core. She smirked back and started undulating on top of Gendry.

She started slow and shallow and she can see him trying to suppress his grunts. She wants to hear him more, so she started going deeper, raising herself all the way up to the head and descending down to the base. That did the trick as his breath and moans rumbled through the room but it was also doing the same effect on Arya. She went faster, her legs burning with the effort but Gendry’s grip was vice-like on her hips as he helped her with the tempo.

“You feel so good, Arya…”

It was unexpected but his rough voice coupled with an forceful thrust from him made her see stars again. She clamped tightly around his cock and with a few more thrusts, she heard a deep groan. His body stilled but she felt the unmistakable twitching from his length inside of her. After a few seconds, he pulled out and she felt the warm liquid trickle out.

She fell into a heap on top of him, her head resting on the crook of his neck. Both of them were catching their breaths, their bodies covered with a thin sheen of sweat.

“That was…” Arya started.

“...yeah.” Gendry finished and kissed her forehead.

It was months and months of sexual tension and both of them finally basked in the well-deserved afterglow.

“I think… I think I’m gonna keep you, Gendry.” She scooted up so her face is now on the same level as his.

“Not if I keep you first, milady.” He gave her a soft smile and punctuated his promise with an equally reverent kiss.

They talked about mundane things until one of them yawned and eventually, both of them finally succumbed to sleep.

\--

And if Arya woke up in the crack of dawn with Gendry’s lips on her neck, with a hard-on pressed on her ass, and with a large hand massaging her breast and one more hand dangerously playing with her nether lips, she did not complain.

She even hiked her leg over his as he entered her from behind and it still felt like everything’s finally falling into place.

\--

They fell asleep after their early morning tryst and woke up a few hours later and decided to shower together.

The hot shower was immaculate against their sore bodies and both of them just stood underneath the spray for considerable time until they eventually sought each other’s lips. After a few slow kisses and caresses, they parted and started washing up. Arya even enjoyed lathering up Gendry’s pine-scented shampoo on her hair especially when he helped untangle some knots and massaged her temples. When they stepped out of the shower, Gendry engulfed her with a fluffy towel then he proceeded on opening the drawers under the sink to procure a toothbrush for her.

It was quite domestic how they brushed their teeth together, smiling at each other through the mirror. When they were done, they started with another round of languid kisses but was cut short with Gendry’s grumbling stomach.

Arya gave an amused smile at Gendry’s flushed expression but after a few beats, her stomach followed suit, and they both chuckled at their current predicament.

“Let’s get you fed, milady.”

\--

Gendry led them into the kitchen and his grip tightened around her hand when they heard clattering in the said room. When they rounded the corner, they were met with a chipper voice that made them stop on their tracks.

“Oh, lovely! You two are finally awake!”

There was his Uncle Renly, leaning at the kitchen island, coffee mug in hand, while Loras was in the middle of munching on a slab of bacon but waved at them enthusiastically.

“Uncle.” Gendry nodded in greeting with a slight glare. “I see you’ve made yourself comfortable.”

“Good morning to you too, love. Come. Loras and I prepared brunch.” Renly beamed past Gendry. “Arya. I hope you had a good night’s sleep.”

Arya flushed up to the tips of her ears. She was wearing Gendry’s shirt and boxers and that probably answered enough.

“I’m pretty sure there there was little sleep to be had, Renly.” Loras chimed in and both of them giggled much to the chagrin of the couple.

“Stop it, you two.” Gendry groaned, as he poured coffee on two cups, one for him and one for Arya.

  
”Well, I’m not the one leaving clothes in the hallway!” Loras hissed.

“You have to forgive Loras, he tripped and fell on his ass last night.” Renly added while he sat down beside his partner and giving him a peck on the temple. Arya and Gendry sat down opposite them and started on the generous breakfast spread on the table.

Loras sighed while trying to suppress a smile. “Arya, dearest, that silk dress looked magnificent on you last night, but Sansa will kill you when she knew you just left it on the floor!”

Arya wanted the ground to swallow her whole but looking back at Renly and Loras, she understood they were just teasing. She peered over at Gendry, his handsome face crumpled in a scowl as he drank his coffee.

She chuckled, “Well, I’m not the only one at fault here.”

Gendry sputtered on his drink and glared at her. She smirked, raising her eyebrow in challenge.

Loras cleared his throat, catching their attention. “Yeah, yeah, it takes two to tango. Congratulations.”

Renly threw his head back roaring in laughter while the couple across them groaned. “Oh come on, you lovebirds. It’s not a secret anymore.”

Gendry and Arya both blushed at Renly’s implication but then he added, “But don’t worry, we managed to settle all the fuss last night when you left. That dragon got the TRO he deserved.”

The couple let out a collective sigh of relief but Arya did speak out, “You didn’t have to do that, Renly.”

“Well, it was your sister who pushed for the TRO and we just agreed on behalf Gendry.”

Arya whined, equally thankful and displeased with Sansa’s idea. She needs to call her ASAP. She didn’t understand, however, why the restraining order should also cover Gendry.

Loras shrugged, “It’s more for Aegon’s safety. Our boy here can hammer his face to oblivion if no one stops him.”

“Thus the TRO for both of you.” Renly added.

Gendry tensed beside her as Arya’s eyes widened. The memory was hazy from last night, but she remembered how bloodied and bruised Aegon was.

Gendry scoffed, “He does have a punchable face.”

Loras and Renly cackled heartily while Arya tried to suppress hers. Gendry smirked at his uncles but when he looked at her, his smile turned softer and the warm blue pools of his eyes drew her in.

And it was just fair to lay a delicate kiss on his lips regardless of the teasing they suffered afterward.

\--

It was quite a pleasant breakfast but real life eventually beckoned them.

Arya had a lot on her list since technically, she just came back from Braavos and went straight to the gala last night. She needed to check in with Sansa and get her things, pick up Nymeria at the Cassels, and sort herself for the following work week. Just thinking about her to-do list gave her a small headache. If possible, she just wanted to sleep in and hang out with Gendry today, of course, among other things.

Gendry heard the audible sigh that escaped her lips and looked at her in concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I think.” She gave a small smile and bit her lip. “It’s just… I need to pick up my things from Sansa’s hotel, then get Nym, and then do my weekly grocery and laundry as well.” She sighed. “Frankly, I just want to be in bed with you all day.”

He chuckled, his ears stained red, “Well, milady, as much as I’d like to accept your offer, how about we do all those things first and then maybe…” he leaned forward, leaving just a hair’s breadth between their lips, “maybe, we can spend the rest of the day in your bed?”

She whimpered, feeling the warmth ignite again, “You sure?”

“If I remembered correctly, you promised to keep me, didn’t I?”

She licked her lips, eyes already half-lidded, “Well, you promised the same.”

Gendry’s next words were like an opening salvo in their blooming relationship.

“I’ll stick with you as long as you stick with me, Arya Stark.”

\--

As the days passed, they fell into step with each other’s space as natural as breathing. They already spend a lot of time together when they were both in King’s Landing but the night of the gala and the morning after solidified their relationship into a more serious territory. They still do the same things like getting dinner and going through weekends together but some aspects definitely improved.

If the sounds escaping her lips is any indication, Arya is undoubtedly enjoying the benefits of being Gendry’s girlfriend as he pounded into her with such abandon and leaving bruising kisses as he did so. As for Gendry, well, he can’t really complain when he wakes up with Arya riding him in a tortuous pace until both of them reach their peak at the same time. It definitely improves the rest of his day much to the delight of his workmates.

\--

It was one of those weekends where they decided to have brunch at the fancier side of King’s Landing. Arya was left in their table with Nymeria since Gendry had to go to the restroom. She was busy petting Nym and feeding her some of the sausages when she heard a tittering nearby that made her look up.

There was a curvy and tall blonde woman approaching Gendry while the rest of the girls, probably her friends, gushed and giggled on the nearby table. Arya raised her eyebrow, the realization finally dawning on her. _Oh, this is going to be interesting._

The woman “bumped” into Gendry and acted “surprised” when she saw him. Gendry’s face is a mixture of his signature scowl and confusion as the blonde woman tried to talk to him. He blinked a few times until he nodded, frown still in place, and then he excused himself. Arya can’t help but laugh internally at the woman’s crestfallen face and her friends’ equally disappointed expressions.

“What are you smiling about?” Gendry asked as he sat down across her.

She smirked, “You’re very charming in the morning, Baratheon.”

He groaned, “You saw that?” She nodded and raised her brow in question. He sighed. “Apparently, I dated her a few months ago... also a member of the club.”

Gendry continued when there was no reaction from Arya, “She said she’s the one that got squid ink pasta on me.” Arya’s eyes widened, remembering the story. “Says she wants to have coffee sometime but I told her I’m not interested.”

“And why is that?” She teased.

“Well, I already have a beautiful girlfriend, haven’t I?” Nymeria yipped and Gendry had to scoot down to give the malamute a hefty rub, “And of course, her beautiful dog too.”

Arya blushed at his compliment and gave him a shy smile. She then pushed through with her train of thought, “You know, I almost forgot about about that club. It’s been a while since I got messages from Jeyne.”

He nodded. “I saw Hot Pie last week--”

“Oh, how is he?”

“Well, he resigned from his job at the club. He’s opening up a bakery at Flea Bottom. Said he’s gonna message me the address when it’s open.”

“That’s interesting.” She supposed. She only met Hot Pie once but he came across as quirky and probably a difficult fit for corporate work.

“Anything else on your mind?” Gendry asked.

Arya bit her lip. It fascinates her that despite only a few months of friendship and dating, Gendry was able to pick up on her moods so easily. Aegon never came close. _Well, probably because he’s a narcissist._

“I think I want to withdraw my membership from the club.”

It was a passing thought when their conversation started, but it eventually nagged her. Sure, the matchmaking thing was nice since he met Gendry and Ned through it, but the Aegon debacle felt like a perpetually looming cloud. Besides, she is quite happy with her current status right now with Gendry and she really hopes that they last.

In the _unfortunate_ case that they don’t pan out, Arya vehemently refuses the idea to date spoiled rich brats again. She’d much rather be the single daughter getting drunk on Christmas instead of dating another version of Aegon. Gods forbid that happen.

But she desperately prays that everything works out in the end with Gendry.

Gendry was supportive, perhaps _too supportive_ , with Arya’s idea of dropping the club membership that he too, decided to cancel his own. He admitted that he’s also happy with what they have right now and he doesn’t want to complicate things further with rich girls being thrown at him -- “Not that I’ll cheat on you, Arya! It’s just weird, okay!”

Arya roared in laughter as they entered the office of Westerosi Royals Club a few days later, feeling lighter with the decision of cutting off ties. There was a hint of sadness from Jeyne’s eyes when she said her intentions but eventually became elated when Arya introduced Gendry as her boyfriend. She was so giddy when she said that they are the perfect match based from their algorithm, which left them flushed to the tips of their ears.

The cancellation process was efficient with Jeyne’s help and after an hour, they were already on their way back to Gendry’s house to have dinner.

“So, a perfect match?” Gendry teased as he hugged Arya from the back as she continued cooking.

“Hmm. I would not put it past them. They did match me with Aegon too, you know?” She felt him tense up a bit so she craned her neck back and left kisses on wherever she can reach.

Gendry scoffed. “Are you trying to wind me up, woman?”

Arya smirked as she turned around on the circle of Gendry’s arms. He definitely knows what she’s doing. It’s just that Gendry roughhousing her in bed was always a treat and she would like to have that tonight, thank you very much.

“Well, is it working?”

His eyes darkened as he held her face up to his and leaned down to her lips. She whimpered on the contact but it was fleeting as Gendry stepped away immediately.

“Hey!”

Gendry smirked. “If we continue, we’re never gonna have dinner, milady.” He said as he took a drag of his beer at the far side of the kitchen. “And I would very much like eat whatever your cooking.”

“But, later…” He started.

“Later?” She asked.

“Later, we would definitely celebrate our graceful exit from that dreaded club.”

And they celebrated the fuck out of each other until the wee hours of the morning until Arya can’t feel her legs anymore and Gendry can’t help but laugh with her. Even then, everything felt right that Arya was not able to stop herself from blurting it out.

“You know, I love you, right?”

Gendry took a deep breath as he looked at her with those intense blue eyes of his. After a few beats, his lips curled into a smile and placed his sweaty forehead on top of hers.

“You sure it’s not just the sex talking?” He teased.

“No, you idiot!” She scowled but Gendry’s next words made her insides flutter.

“I love you too, Arya.”

And in the end, it did work out with Gendry.

The stupid idiot had the audacity to propose to her while they were spending their third Christmas in Winterfell, in her childhood bedroom, while they were in the middle of having sex as she almost peaked when he asked the question coupled with a deep thrust.

As for Gendry, he still can’t believe his luck. If he dies tonight, he will still be a happy man as the memory of Arya’s naked body with the ring on her finger and nothing else will forever be etched on his brain.

“So, a perfect match?” Arya asked, her voice only above a whisper, as she settled inside Gendry’s embrace.

He smiled, listening to the sound of her even breaths matching his.

“Without a doubt.”

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you very much for reaching this point! I hope the chapter didn't feel too rushed. I had a hard time with the smut but I tried my best. Consider it as a gift to all my readers who were probably waiting for the final installment of this story, LOL. Sorry, it took so long. Real life happened and everything just got so busy. The ending part got a little boring and I had difficulties trying to capture how I want to write it. I'm sure it can still be improved but at the moment, I am happy with it. Once again, thank you very much for reading my first Gendrya fanfic. It served as a writing exercise (I'm really rusty) and it definitely turned into a behemoth. I appreciate all the comments, kudos and all the hits! Here's to more! Cheers! ♥️


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